Death's Beauty
by ForbiddenDreams13
Summary: Kenshin's daughter, Tori has become an assasin, her legend matching her father's. Can Kenshin convince her to lay down her blade, or will another man slayer be born?
1. Chapter 1

_Slash!_

_The sound of my sword slicing the air rang out like a battle cry. The smell of blood and death was everywhere, no matter which way I turned. But I didn't mind, in fact I rather liked it. My katana, which was usually as silver as the crescent moon was now a deep dark red. Raising the weapon to my lips, I licked off some of the blood, relishing the rich, coppery taste. I took a deep breath, forcing the rising eagerness down as I approached my last target. He knelt on the ground in a widening pool of red, cradling a badly broken arm. Jerking his head up he whimpered;_

_"Y-you're…you're…"_

_I gave him a wolfish smile, and cupped his chin in my hand. Bloody saliva ran down his cheek and pooled in between my fingers but I ignored it. In a silky, yet poisonous voice I replied;_

_"Yes, I'm afraid you are correct. Now, now don't be afraid. Your men offered good sport for me, you should be honored."_

_He flinched away from me, as if my words alone could kill him. Pink spittle from his mouth as he dethatched his chin from my hands._

_"Please! I'll give you anything! Anything you want! Just please don't kill me!"_

_Sighing, I whipped my sword in front of his face, spraying drops of red in a perfect line across his nose. I looked at him, not glared. I wasn't getting angry, just growing bored._

_"Look here, this is all from your men who asked for the very same thing. Look around you. You think they got what they wanted?"_

_Trembling, he glanced around; I could still see desperation in those eyes. A need to live, but then again he probably saw the very same thing countless times and ignored it as well. I brought my sword up high over my head._

_"Look, you're beginning to bore me, so I'll just end it now. Look on the bright side; at least you can meet up with your allies when you all arrive at the gates of hell."_

_I struck. He never saw it coming._

My eyes flew open with such a wild snap; I thought they would pop right out of my head. Placing one hand on my forehead, I sighed deeply. I'd been having the same…dream? Nightmare? Whatever it was, I had been having it for the past couple weeks. It wasn't the fact that I was killing that kept scaring me; it was the amazing sense of rightness as I held the dream-blade in my hands and used it to kill. I sat up as the rattle of my bedroom door opening caught my attention. I turned to see my older brother, Kenji, peering in at me.

"Well there you are sleepy head. You missed breakfast you know. Mom was so worried that Dad and I thought she'd call in a whole team of doctors. She just kept on saying 'It's not right for Tori to still be asleep. She should be up by now. This just isn't right.'"

Kenji stopped and looked at me, blue eyes sparkling with curiosity and concern.

"Hey, sis, you okay?"

I stared at him a moment, befuddled, then I realized how I must have looked, covers all rumpled up, sweaty, and my hair a bit messy. Running a hand over my hair, and smiling I replied;

"Yeah, I'm okay Kenji. You can go tell mom that I've rejoined the world of the living."

He nodded, and shut my door. I could hear the rhythmic thump, thump, thump of his feet running on the wooden floor of the dojo in which we lived. Pushing my covers back I stood up, whatever that dream was about, it was time to get started on a brand new day.

After I had taken a bath, and changed into a plain blue kimono, I ran out of the dojo to see if I could find my brother. I ended up running into my father instead. I was the only one who had directly inherited my father's looks, the hair, the eyes, even the same soft spoken look. The only thing that set me apart from him was the obvious gender difference, and my fiery temper which I got from mom. He gave me a tender, loving expression, and placed a hand on my head.

"Glad to see you're up Tori. Kenji's out back and your mother's in the garden planting rice."

I smiled. No matter how much we disagreed on something (which we rarely every did mind you) I was still 100% daddy's girl. I dashed to the side of the dojo, where the garden is located, thanking Dad for giving me the low down on where everyone was. I stopped short of the garden. I heard my mother humming a tune to some lullaby that I'd heard when I was little, but barely knew the words to. I came around the bend just as my mother was moving to a new hole, she put down her things when she saw me, ran over and gave me a bear hug.

"_Tori! _There you are dear! How about you come and help your mom do a little gardening? I was thinking about some rice balls and beef stew tonight for supper. I nodded, and walked over to the garden with her, but not without a quick quip.

"By rice balls, do you mean those funny egg-shaped things that are kind of crunchy, and way too spicy?"

She turned to me; her face had a look of playful anger about it, running her fist through my hair she said gleefully;

"Oh? Is that how you feel about it? Well maybe you can go hungry tonight missy!"

Then she started tickling me, and soon we both ended up on he ground in a heap of laughter. I loved times like this, my mother and I were never as close and Dad and I were, but we made the most of it. We spent most of the afternoon working on the garden, and the rest of it cooking. Turns out I still need a few lessons myself on how to make the perfect rice ball. But oh well as long as it's edible right? Through the entire meal, I thought good and hard about telling one of my parents about my reoccurring sword fight dream. Sadly though, every time I thought I had grasped my courage, it went "Oh no sweetheart, I'm outta here." And was gone like dust on the wind. That night as I lay in bed, with the light of the full moon sliding in my window I thought about it. Should I have at least told one of them? Would it have been better to keep the silence like I did? I fell asleep, praying the dream wouldn't find me. It did.


	2. Chapter 2

_Everything is exactly the same. Blood, death, screams, and something new. The smell of fire. Something is burning, but whether it be a village or flesh, it remains unknown to me. Once more, I use my blade for its sole purpose: killing. I step in front of my last target, and slay him with a single down stroke of my sword. .At last I turn away, my hands and arms are stained with the blood of many men, my bright scarlet hair billows wildly around me as I walk forward into the beckoning darkness._

Once more I bolted straight up out of bed, panting like a dog on a hot day. I surveyed my surroundings. Good, it didn't seem like anyone was up yet. Taking a few cautious steps, I slowly crept over to my window and saw the reason why. It wasn't even daylight yet! The land outside was bathed in a mysterious silver glow, the clouds from the evening had departed, and a glittering shaft of moonlight had found its way into my bedroom. Turning away from the window, I started back for my bed. I don't know how long I lay there, tossing and turning, resetting the sheets because they had gotten too crumpled from my continuous rolling around in bed. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of wasted effort, I jumped out of bed, tied my hair back in a braid, put on a deep purple kimono, and walked outside.

The air around me was beautiful, draped by a thin lilac mist, and smelling faintly of cherry blossoms. I stood out front, taking everything in, when a hand descended on my shoulder. I let out a yelp of surprise, and a hand was slapped over my mouth.

"Quiet you moron! Do you want to wake mom and dad?!"

Kenji. Forcing my bunched up muscles to uncoil, and my ever beating heart to still a moment, I turned to face my brother.

"Did you have to scare me like that?! What's wrong with you?!"

"Me?! What wrong with _me_?!" _You're_ the one up way too early in the morning, staring out the yard, and you're asking if there's anything wrong with me?!"

Crossing my arms over my chest, I ground my teeth, and tried backing off a littler bit. After all, he had been worried about me, and further more…

"Why were you up Kenji? Shouldn't you be sleeping too?"

Kenji sighed, and plunked himself down on the step.

"I was, until I heard somebody moving around, but we don't know who that was, do we?"

He looked up at me, eyes sparkling with a sarcastic playfulness, sadly it didn't amuse me. Growling, I spat back;

"Oh yeah? Go back to bed, if you want to play these stupid games!"

I began walking back into the dojo, when Kenji grabbed my arm. I turned to look back at him. My smoldering violet coals met his glittering sapphire crystals.

"Just why were you out of bed in the first place?"

We stood there for a moment, Kenji holding my arm, and me staring back at him not sure how to answer. After about a minute, I ripped my arm free from his grip and stormed off.

"That's none of your business, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to sleep."

As I stormed off, I heard Kenji mutter "Whatever." before he went his own way. When I was back in my own room, I flopped down on my bed. Geez, what the hell was wrong with me? It was just a stupid dream, why was I getting so worked up over it? I took off my kimono. _I'll put it back on when the sun's up. I told myself, while I donned my pajamas, and got back into bed. I will say this much though, for the few hours that I was able to sleep, there was a sweet utter blackness of a dreamless sleep._

_* * * * * * * *_

"_Kids! Come here for a minute! There's something I want to tell you!"_

_Kenji and I both glanced up from the floor which we both had been scrubbing. Kenji looked at me curiously._

"_What do you think mom wants?"_

_Looking back at him I shrugged._

"_Who knows? I just hope it's not something bad."_

_I told him, dropping my wet rag into my bucket. Kenji helped me up and gave me a vindictive smile._

"_Yeah, like another baby, one of you is bad enough!"_

_I hit him on the head, laughing._

"_Well for your sake let's hope that mister! Although that would be kind of gross, considering how old they are now."_

_Kenji made a mock shudder._

"_Yeah nasty."_

_We raced to the old training room of the dojo where mom was standing in the room's center, holding something that resembled a sword shaped stick. Kenji and I glanced down at the strange object mom was holding, then up at her. Mom's eyes were shining with anticipation. My brother cocked his head to one side._

"_What gives mom? Why are we in the training room? And what's that thing you're holding?"_

_Mom smiled, attached the stick to her hip, and patted Kenji on the head._

"_Ah, my poor naïve son. Don't you know what this is? I distinctly remember teaching you about the Kamiya Kashin style when you were younger, you too Tori. This is a specially designed sword my father, and I myself used to use. Kamiya Kashin style-swords that give life."_

_Memories came crashing down on me. Sitting on my mother's lap as a kid while she told us stories of her father's teachings, and her first apprentice, Yahiko Myojin. Although, I didn't recall much, the one thing I'll never forget is that my father who had been an assassin during the Baku Matsu revolution, also accepted mom and grandfather's practices. Still, I could not comprehend what it had to do with us. _

"_Well, yeah sure we remember, but why have you called us here?"_

_I asked. Mom smiled, walked back to a rack which held similar sword like things, and came back, holding them out in out direction._

"_Because Tori, I want to teach you, and your brother the Kamiya Kashin style."_

_I jerked a little, dumbfounded. There was no need for swords! Even wooden ones that were meant for protecting people! Kenji, who stood beside me had the same shocked look on his face._

"_M-mom? Are you sure? There's no need to learn swordsmanship any more. Everything is in peace now."_

"_That might be true, but there is no telling when a new threat might pop up. Besides, what your mother is doing is only natural, that it is."_

_We both wheeled around to face dad, who had crept into the training room. He was smiling in the caring, and sensible way that all parents do. My father walked briskly into the center of the room, where the three of us stood. He handed each of us our swords, and stepped back. _

"_Now comes the time when you two must learn to use a blade, and not the other way around. The blade can also use you, for many years swords have been used for killing, that they have. What your mother, and your late grandfather teach was, during the Baku Matsu Revolution, scoffed at, but in times like these, peaceful times, but where rebel groups still lurk in the shadows, has been brought to public. Kenji, Tori, you must learn the ways of the Kamiya Kashin style."_

_With this said, dad took a step back, as did mom. They watched, waiting to see our reaction. I lifted the wooden blade to my face. Why was my heart thumping so fast? Kamiya Kashin style-swords that give life. The sword in my dreams delivered only death, not protection. So why, when I held this blade in front of my face, did the old feeling of desire, and blood lust well up within me once more? My brother, just stared at it, as if he'd never seen it in his life before. Which is a lie, because we've always seen thses things ever since we were kids. I turned to face my mother._

"_So, how do we get started?"_


	3. Blood Lust Begins

**Hello guys. Sorry, it's been so long. Let's get on with chapter 3!**

It had been about a month after we started training, and already, Kenji and I were excelling. I mean it's natural of course, what with Mom being the former Master, and Dad being a former assassin. Somehow, I always managed to stay a little bit ahead of my brother. Unlike him, I was dedicated to living life by the blade. Okay, it's a wooden blade, but whatever. Kenji however, he never really kept focused. He's got a good head on his shoulders, yeah, but he does tend to daydream a lot.

Speaking of Kenji, where was he? I scanned the market area for him, but due to a vast population, and the fact that my brother could easily disappear in any crowd, he was impossible to find. _How hard could it be? _I asked myself. _With that flaming head of his, he should stick out like a sore thumb! _You would think right? I sighed. Looks like I was going to have to walk through the entire market, alleys included, AGAIN, just to find my stupid brother.

"Hey! Sis!"

Or not. Sweet, sweet salvation. After all, only the gods knew what walked through those creepy alleys. I stood and waited calmly for my brother to catch up. He was lugging groceries. (Okay, refresh my memory, but doesn't Kaoru buy miso?) Figures. Why did Mom have to buy all that stuff at the same time? It didn't matter though. In the span of about five minutes, Kenji was at my side, panting and smiling.

"There you are. I…couldn't find…you. Where…did you…run off…to?"

While waiting for Kenji to continue catching his breath, I took the liberty of explaining that I had absolutely nothing to do with me not being able to find him. After all, not my fault he can disappear just like that.

"You need to tell me when you spot a vendor. I thought you were still with me. It's called communication. Something that you and I strangely lack."

Sniffing, I began to add fake tears to my little speech.

"You're my b-brother Kenji. My only one. I-if you and I don't talk it's l-like there's a rift b-between us! I love you Kenji, you're m-my dear older brother. B-but I never r-realized that you wouldn't e-even consider giving you're a-adorable little s-sister the time o-of day! You're so cruel!"

"Cut it out already! I _know _you're faking!"

Darn it! I guess after fifteen years, you come to expect and know the antics of the little sister. This meant that I would have to think up new tactics, which or course I often agonized over. Kenji was just so predictable, and I wanted to easily surprise him, but sadly, he remembered all the tricks I used to play on him. But back to the present. Kenji just looked at me, before finally accepting the fact that I was a lost cause, and shoved a couple bags at me.

"Okay, Madame of the unloved, how about carrying a few bags? These things are heavy, and I think I popped something in my back."

Counter attack time.

"Popped something in your back? Oh! You poor old man! No wonder you're so bent over! You should probably get a cane or-"

"Shut up."

Withdrawal! I had won. Of course, we weren't bickering, were just chatting like normal siblings. You know, the old song and dance of loving each other one moment, then being at each other's throats at the next. Excepting the heavy offerings of food, we then turned and began making our way out of the over-crowded market. It wasn't until we passed the Akabeko, that my skin started to prickle. I stopped and turned. Over the din, I could faintly hear shouting, not to mention I could sense some relatively malevolent chi in there.

"Kenji! I'll be right back!"

I shouted, dropping the bags, and leaving Kenji to stare after me as I ran full throttle into the Akabeko. What I saw terrified me. Shattered pieces of bowls and plates lay scattered across the restaurant. Table cloths were torn, and there were a few splashes of blood thrown in the mix. In the back, stood Tae surrounded by three men. All but one brandishing daggers. The other had a long, curved katana held in his right hand.

_Hmph. _I thought. _Moron. We're pretty well into the Meiji Era. You would think he knows of the sword banning act by now. _But sadly, as long as there was life on this planet, there would be idiots to inhabit most of it. Neither of them knew I was there. I smiled. All the better for scaring the hell out of them.

"C'mon, lady, just give us the money, and we won't have to kill you."

Robbery. So typical these days. No one killed because they were some former Baku Matsu Revolution fighters any more, like when Mom and Dad had first met. Nope, these days everybody was just your average, run of the mill criminal. Boring.

"Hey! Bone heads! Step away from the woman if you don't want a beating!"

The three would-be robbers turned to face me, stupid mocking grins plastered all over their faces. They wouldn't be grinning for long though. One of them, the one with the katana whipped his blade through the air and laughed.

"You?! A _girl_ take us down?! Listen honey…"

He said as he began walking closer to me.

"We're with the Rengoku Gang. And no one, not even some little girl, who's way in over her head, will stand against us. Got that?"

I stood there for a moment, pretending to contemplate what he had just said. I slipped my hand inside my kimono. He raised an eyebrow. Quicker than lightning, I had my wooden sword out and cracked the idiot good on the shoulder. I heard a sh-cop sound as it was popped out of place. The man shrieked and fell to the floor. His comrades just stared, shocked,

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I pop it out of socket? Here let me help you."

I said, lifting him over my shoulder and tossing him out the door. Turning back, I smiled.

"Look at it this way, if my method didn't work, you've still got one arm. Right?"

With my first tagrer1dispatched, I turned on the other two.

"Well, you boys up to the challenge?"

Not even two seconds after the question was out of my mouth, they had split. Pathetic. Poor Tae, who was standing, cradling a badly bleeding arm, continued to stand at the back of the Akabeko, stunned and confused. She took a shaky step forward.

"T-T-Tori?"

I rushed over to her and put an arm around her shoulder. Poor thing, she was shaking like a wet leaf.

"You okay, Miss Tae?"

I asked, taking a gander at her cut up arm. It was a long, crude slash mark that went from the top of her wrist all the way up to the bottom of her shoulder. It Didn't show any signs as of yet that it would stop bleeding any time soon. Together, we walked over to an unharmed table, and began to talk.

"Miss Tae, who were those people. They said something about being with the Rengoku Gang. Does that sound familiar?"

Tae stared at her hands, which sat folded in front of her. She was silent for a while. I thought I wasn't gong to get anything out of her, but then she started to talk.

"Yeah, it does sound familiar. They've been in here before. Normally, all they do is order some sake, and just sit around drinking and talking. But lately they've been getting out of hand. Rumors are that their boss got killed in a fight, and now they're gang is going steadily down hill, so they've been robbing places, and murdering."

She looked up at me, I could see the saffron light of gratitude shining in her eyes.

"Thank you, Tori. If you hadn't come, I would have been dead."

"You're welcome.. But please, there's no need to thank me. This is what the Kamiya Kashin style is for."

Tae smiled, amused by my humbleness. She stood up and I followed suit.

"Well, I better go see Megumi, and see if she can get this bandaged. Will you be okay on your own?"

"Yeah, I'll-"

"Sis!"

We both turned to see Kenji, zip through the door, and up to both of us.

"Are you okay Tori? Tae! You arm! Where did those goons go? Sis, what happened?!"

Trying to calm down my brother, I explained what happened.

"These three idiots from some group called the Rengoku Gang, were threatening Miss Tae here, and I thought they deserved a smacking or two. Okay?"

Kenji seemed to calm down, only a little though."

"What about you? Are hurt?"

Typical Kenji. No matter how much I annoyed him, he always found some small place in his heart to care.

"I'm okay. Tae got a little scratched, but she's going to see Megumi and get it bandaged. So there's no need to worry. Now c'mon let's get home. Mom's probably wondering where we are."

Tipping Tae a wink, I took a few of the bags, that my brother had taken the liberty of carrying in with him, and shoved my still ruffled brother out the door. When we got back into the streets, Kenji stopped, and bent down.

"What wrong? Foot bothering you?"

Kenji stood up. In his hand was a short sword. Odd. I hadn't seen it on those guys. Maybe he was concealing it? Possible. Kenji turned back to me, face serious.

"Did you know that one of those guys was carrying this?"

Okay, now this was starting to get irritating.

"No. I didn't. Okay, and what kind of weapons those morons were carrying doesn't matter. What matters is that I took them down. End of discussion."

"Well, what are we going to do with it?"

"I don't know. Bury it somewhere?"

"Why?"

"Mom and Dad would kill us if we brought back an actual blade that wasn't reversed. You know that."

I told him, taking the short sword. Turning away, I began heading back to the nearest alley." Kenji's voice followed me.

"Where are you going?"

"To get rid of this thing. What do you think?"

Kenji said nothing, rather rolled his eyes, and took to waiting beside an artist's shop.

"Hurry back."

I continued to walk on. When I got deep into the alley I stopped. My hand was beginning to tingle, and my heart was beginning to pound. A wonderful feeling of bloodlust began to well up within my soul. No. I couldn't abandon this beautiful jewel of death. I glanced around. Nobody. Perfect. Quickly, I stashed the blade in my kimono. I would wait till later tonight to test its worth. I hurried out of the alley, and soon caught sight of Kenji. He smiled, and we began our journey back to the dojo. Cold steel brushed up gently against my belly, making my soul shudder in anticipation of what was to come once the sun went down.

* * * * *

A cool breeze shook the trees, making them whisper in soft soothing tones of a lullaby. The moon hung in the sky, a pale marionette, suspended from an invisible string, immobile as the stars around it danced to the continuous melody of the night. I stood in a small clearing, with the short sword drawn. The energy of the blade permeated my soul, and shot through my brain in rapid, startling bursts. My breathing was fast, and shallow. What would be unveiled tonight, as I stood under the crystal glimmer of the moon, tasting a mixture of ecstasy and death on my tongue? The forest around me was silent. Waiting. Watching. Urging me on, pushing me forward, and I was more than happy to oblige. I leapt into the air, slashing this way and that, using the Kamiya Kashin style that Mom had taught to me, and mixing it with pure instinct. When my feet touched the ground, I was now standing in a little pile of leaves and branches that reached the middle of my calve. I had just sliced a good portion of the trees around me. Still, it wasn't enough. Pulling up my sleeve, I marveled at the way the light from the moon turned my arm into marble flesh.

I raised the short sword, and brought it across my arm. Dark, rich blood welled to the surface of my skin, slowly oozing out, and dripping to the ground below. I inhaled deeply, licking my lips as the coppery smell met my nose. Exquisite. The blade in my hand was now splashed with red, I raised it up to my face, and cautiously licked off some of the blood. Delicious. The rich decedent wine of life pooled on my tongue, and slithered down my throat. I began to lick off more. When my arm and the blade were both clean, I stopped. I raised the sword once more, but I brought it back down. No. No more tonight. I needed a better weapon than this. Short swords were only good for short range attacks. Besides, it didn't satisfy me. I tucked the blade safely back in my kimono, and began walking back to the dojo. A few foggy rays of sunlight began streaming up above the horizon, but they were too weak to pierce to darkness just yet. I glanced at the long slash mark on my arm. It throbbed with my pulse, alive and breathing, but with no pain. I could still feel the energy vibrating through my body, but it was faint. I needed something better.

I needed something more powerful.

**Well, it's done. The odd thing is, I write better while listening to Iron Maiden. Strange. Anyway, R&R! **


	4. The Start of a Dark Life

**Hey RK fans! For those of you new to this fanfic, welcome to "Death's Beauty" Now, before I go off on a tangent, let's get to chapter 4!**

Crack! Whoosh! Smack!

Training again. I stood still as the boards tied to the tree fell around me one by one. Sighing, I sheathed the sword. Dull. I had aced this thing over a million times, and Mom still insisted that I do it. Parents. Jeez. I glanced at the wooden mess that lay around my feet. Each and every board had been broken clean in half. Well, there was no reusing those now. Yawning, I picked up the halved boards, and began making my way back to the dojo. Lately, it had been the same thing, day in and day out. Training with the boards, one hundred strokes, and training against my brother, whom I always beat. A warm spring breeze slithered through my hair. Closing my eyes, I relived the dark brilliance of last night. The energy was wonderful, the bloodlust, superb. I needed to feel that again.

"Tori? You okay?"

Dad. I opened my eyes, to find my father looking me over, with concerned eyes.

"Oh! Don't worry Dad, I'm fine."

Dad smiled, and looked down at the broken boards I held in my hands.

"Well, you've certainly been coming along nicely, haven't you?"

I nodded.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to get back home."

I began walking off in the direction of the dojo, when Dad's voice caught up to me.

"I'll see if I can talk to your mother about you and Kenji having another practice battle against each other."

Yes! Finally! I turned around and thanked my father, before continuing on. The sun shone clearly from a pale azure sky, making it's rays glimmer like golden crystals. Quickly, I set the boards down by the front porch and raced off to my room. When I entered, I knelt down in front of a little desk with a drawer where I kept my most precious belongings. A necklace of flowers Kenji made for me when we were children. A scarf Dad had given me, a few purple hair ribbons, a black crystal I had found, and the short sword. It lay buried, wrapped up in the scarf. Cautiously, I took it out and held it. There was no energy this time, Just a faint tingling sensation.

"Useless."

I muttered, as I put it back. I needed a sword, but where would I find one? Problems, problems. A rattling noise caught my attention. I jumped and scrambled to close the drawer.

"What are you doing in here, Tori? Finish training already?"

Mom. Thank the Gods. Putting a hand to my chest to still my fleeting heart, I turned around to face my mother.

"Yes. I'm finished. Did Dad talk to you yet?"

She cocked her head to the side before the light dawned.

"Oh! Yes he has. I think you and Kenji are ready for another one on one battle."

I smiled and gave my thanks as Mom turned and shut the door. I turned back to my little desk/drawer. What would I do with the short sword now that it no longer satisfied me? I couldn't throw it out. It could prove to be useful if I ever got caught alone at night. I would keep it, but I wouldn't carry it on me constantly. A breeze slowly sailed through my open window, bringing with it the scent of cherry blossoms and fresh earth. I didn't shut my window, rather, left it open and left my room.

* * * * *

Kenji and I stood facing each other, wooden swords drawn. Mom and Dad were on the sidelines. Silent and waiting for one of us to make the first move. My mind was dead. Filled with nothing but the blade I held in my hands before me. Suddenly, it shimmered, and became a blade forged of steel, and drenched with blood. I gasped quietly and the imaged disappeared. Kenji let loose a yell and rushed forward to strike. I sidestepped and swung in a downward arc, narrowly clipping his shoulder. He growled, and struck again. Again I dodged, and swung. This time catching my brother in the stomach. He wobbled a bit, but did not fall.

My turn. Like a wildcat lit on fire, I surged toward my brother so fast he never saw anything coming. I struck him full force in the chest, but he remained standing. We both backed off a bit, panting. Why wouldn't he go down? Dammit, it was starting to piss me off! Raising my sword high over my head, I rushed at him again. Maybe I was a fraction too slow, because as soon as my sword made contact with the back of his thigh, I felt his force cliff me on the shoulder. I gritted my teeth to keep from crying out. A satisfying thud met my ears as I heard my brother fall. I stood, waiting for him to get up. He struggled to push himself to his feet, but he did make it.

"C'mon! One more! I can still whip yah!"

Just what I wanted to hear. Before I could even get within swinging distance, Dad intervened.

"No you two. You're simply training. Not fighting to the death. Besides, it's almost dinner time."

Kenji nodded, and sheathed his sword. I did the same. My shoulder ached terribly. Kenji caught this and walked over to me.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you badly?"

Kenji. He had been battered by my relentless fighting, only got me once, and was still concerned about me. What a wonderful brother.

"No. I'm okay. What about you? I bruised you pretty good."

"These? They're nothing I can't handle. C'mon, let's go get dinner."

We began following Mom and Dad out of the training room, when something caught my attention. I looked out the open door. An ominous breeze blew through the trees. Somebody had been out there, watching Kenji and I face off. Who?

"Sis?"

Kenji looked at me curiosity making his eyes sparkle. I continued to stare into the darkening landscape. What did they want? Why had they been watching?

"Earth to Tori!"

They wee watching me. The knowledge of that frightened me. What did they want with me? Was it-

"Tori! Hello?! You hear me?!"

I turned back to Kenji, who was searching my face for some disturbance.

"Um…it's nothing. Let's eat, I'm starving!"

I said, pulling my brother along with me. Pain flared in my left shoulder. I cried out and dropped to the floor. Kenji had gotten me good! I was impressed. Normally I was able to walk free of any injury, Kenji had picked up without m noticing. _I need to restore the balance of power. He needs to learn his place. No matter what, he is under me! _No! Where had that thought come from? Kenji knelt by my side, gently helping me up.

"We should go into town tomorrow and see Megumi. You got me pretty good too. I think you actually cracked one of my ribs." (Note: She actually hair-line fractured his sternum, but I'm not sure if they had proper anatomy back then)

I nodded. The two of us sat down at the dinner table, Kenji keeping his eye on me. My shoulder didn't flare up for the rest of the night, but it continued to throb dully with my pulse. When I went to bed that night, I was still anxious. Where had that come from? I had never thought that way, much less towards my own brother. I sighed, and lay down gently, mindful of my possible bruised shoulder. I was thankful when the dark, cold waters of sleep began to brush softly against my worn out mind. It wasn't long before I fell into a heavy sleep.

* * * * *

I awoke with a start. What was it? Nightmare? Not possible. I'd remember if it was.

"You think she's what we need?"

Voices! Where were they coming from?

"I saw her perform. She's beautiful to look at, yet deadly in combat."

Men. In their thirties by the sound. They wanted me. What could I do? Scream? If I did, Mom, Dad, and Kenji would come running, but if I went out there?

"If we get her in our ranks, she could be the most powerful swordsman in all of Japan."

"You mean swords mistress."

_Sword. Powerful. _Those beautiful words rang in crystal tones in my mind, setting off silver bells. The chance to use an actual weapon, the chance to use a sword for its true worth. Slowly, I got up and made my way out of my room. I traversed the hallway silently, mindful of my sleeping family. Quietly I opened the door, and made a few cautious steps outside. They stood in the center of the yard, almost as if they knew I would come out and were waiting my approach. One had long ash blond hair that flowed down to the middle of his back, the other who looked about two years younger than him wore his ebony hair up in a ponytail. The blond bowed when he saw me. As did the other. Wordlessly I approached them.

"Who are you? Why have you come here? What do you seek from me?"

The blond smiled.

"Ah, so you heard us out here a little while ago. You've got good senses my dear."

The younger one stepped forward. He was holding a sheathed sword in his hand.

"We are an underground group of assassins who work for the government, The Tadashi Subeta Group. We have seen your performance and watched you closely since that brawl in the market. You posses skills that we have long sought after. Will you join us?"

Here is was. My chance to make the dreams that had haunted me a reality. To live the lifestyle that my father had abandoned long ago.

"Why? There are many other individuals that you could ask to enlist."

"None of them are as formidable an opponent as you are."

"Are you doing this because my father is the former Battosai The Man Slayer?"

"No. Your father plays no part in this. We ask only you. And we await your answer."

Should I do it? Was it wise to take hold of a destiny soaked with blood. Memories came back to me. Those dreams, the brawl, the short sword. The strongest was the energy that the blade had pulsated with. That breathtaking combination of ecstasy and ruin. I needed that energy. Besides, those dreams were telling me something, they had led me to this destiny. I just couldn't walk away now and be left to wonder.

"I accept your offer."

Both men smiled, and the ebony haired one handed me the sword. An insignia was carved into its handle. A shining blade. Both men took a step back from me. The blond spoke.

"Meet with us tomorrow night for your first assignment. You will find us in the Eastern Woods, by the rotting oak. I believe you know where that is."

I did. When we were kids, Kenji and I used to play there often. I got a broken arm from climbing too high, and breaking an old branch.

"Thank you. I will meet with you tomorrow night."

A stronger wind blew this time. When I looked up, they were gone. I unsheathed the blade. It shown brilliantly in the moonlight. A curved, steel beam of moonlight, made for one soul purpose. Killing. I sheathed the blade and walked back inside. Once in my room, I hid the sword under my bed. What would tomorrow night hold? My first bloodshed. My heart began to beat fiercely in my ears. My head buzzed with excitement.

"Soon."

I whispered to myself, placing one hand under by futon, and running my hand along the blade's handle.

"Soon."

**Ooooh! Tori's first encounter with a blade! Will she go into the dark world of an assassin? Or will somebody find out? R&R! **


	5. Killing In Darkness

**Hey Death's Beauty fans! I've reached a lull in my daily routine, so now I have more time to update! Yay! *insert confetti* And so, in the spirit of all things RK, lets go!**

Morning shone joyously through my open window. Streams of multi-colored bright light filtered onto the floor, and danced upon my face. I lay in my bed with my eyes closed, letting the reborn warmth of the sun gently stroke my skin awake. Last night was the first good night of sleep I had had in a long time. I rolled out of bed, and stretched every one of my muscles, flinching a bit when I strained my shoulder. Rolling my white bed kimono down, I looked at it. An ugly purple stain spread from the center, and out to the bottom of my neck, where there was a dim green ring around it. Yep. Definitely bruised. I pulled my sleeve back up, then went to the back of my room to dig for wearable outfit. On the way, my foot came down on my futon. I heard a metallic clink and stopped. Then it hit me.

Last night, I had met with to assassins from the underground government group, known as Tadashi Subeta. The had offered me a position, and I had accepted. They had given me my own sword to use in combat. I was to meet with them tonight by the old oak for my first assignment. Tonight, I would test my true worth in the Kamiya Kashin Style.

After I had picked out a kimono, a plain white, with a blue ribbon thingy that tied it in the back, I set out to help Dad with the morning chores. As usual, I found him around back, washing the laundry. _Wow. _I thought. _Dad's good at laundry, Mom did always say that when before they were married, he always did it. Makes me wonder if Mom was any good. _Dad was oblivious to me as he squatted in front of the wash bucked.

"Hey, Dad?"

I watched him jump a couple feet into the air, and nearly go head long into the wash bucked. That's the good thing about being a kid. No matter how old you get, you can always effectively sneak up behind your parents and scare the heck out of them. After regaining his balance, Dad turned around, and smiled when he saw me.

"Ah, Tori. You shouldn't sneak up on me. A scare like that can send a man to his grave."

Sure. If they happened to be ordinary, and not the former Battosai, The Man Slayer. I squatted down next to my father, and began to help him with the laundry. All the while, the both of us talking about anything and everything. When I went to reach into the bucket, I pulled my left shoulder, and whimpered. Dad looked up at the sound. Concern sharpened his soft features. He glanced at my shoulder then up at me.

"You should probably go see Miss Megumi this afternoon. Take Kenji with you too. He's been complaining about his chest. I think you two might have overdone it at yesterday's training."

Over done? No. We were just being a typical swordsman, and swords mistress. But of course, there was no arguing with your father. Especially if you happened to be over attached to him.

"All right. We'll go into town."

I told Dad, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"There's no need to worry though. Kenji's fine. Me too."

Dad smiled, but I could still see the shadow of parental worry in his eyes.

"The last time you told me you were fine, the next day you were in bed-ridden for weeks with a serious illness."

I remembered that. It had started with a fever, then lightheadedness. The next day, I was throwing up, and bed ridden. I had been…what? Seven? Eight? The one thing I'll never forget, is how scared Mom, Dadand Kenji had been. One night, I had heard Mom crying. From that point on, I had vowed to always be strong, and try my hardest to never get sick. I could understand Dad's fear, but I was fifteen now. Not a child, and I certainly didn't need anyone hovering over my shoulder. Standing up, with a folded pile of wet, clean clothes in my hands, I began walking over to the clothes line.

"We'll go, but I assure you. It's probably nothing!"

* * * * *

"Hm. It's a pretty big bruise, but there's no signs of a fracture. Here, just put this cream on it each night before you go to bed, and you should be fine Tori."

I nodded.

"Thank you, Megumi."

"Oh, and Kenji, try not to do anything that exerts you too much, I don't want you widening that fracture on your sternum."

Kenji smiled, as if to say 'Sure', but tipped me a wink, like 'No promises.' I made my payment to Megumi, who smiled at me, bade me a good day, then called in the next patient. As we exited her place, we stopped by the Akabeko, to pay Tae a visit.

"Oh hello, Kenji, and Tori. How're you two doing?"

We smiled, and told her of our day. Afterwards, we started walking out of the market, and back home. I wasn't counting on spotting one of _them. _He was standing in an alley, watching me. He looked at me as if to say, 'Tonight. Don't forget.' Then turned away and vanished from my sight. Tonight after sundown, what would happen then?

* * * * *

Silence enveloped me in its cold, black shroud. The night shone with countless stars, each a shining jewel embedded in the slab of ebony sky. There was no moon to aide me as I walked alone to my meeting place. I wore a black short kimono with my sword at my hip. I made no sound as I journeyed through the forest, moving to the rendezvous solely by instinct. The branches of the rotting oak clawed for the moonless sky like dead hands. At the foot, stood the blond man I had met last night. He smiled as I approached.

"So, you came. You look lovely. Black suits you."

"Skip the chivalry. What's my assignment?"

Pulling out a slip of paper, he told me.

"Aoshima Hanake. A merchant who deals with trade in European countries. Outside sources have informed us that he has been reportedly capturing young girls from rich families, and selling them off to Middle Easter countries. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about the ones who have already been sold. What we _can _do, however is abort it where it stands right now."

He handed me the paper. Written on it, in spidery handwriting was the address of Mr. Hanake. I thanked him, and went straight for the old man's home. On cat's feet I moved noiselessly, and with the speed of the wind. It didn't take me long to reach where I was going. The manor was located in front of a large lake, which shone like black glass. I hopped up a nearby tree, and scanned the front vicinity of the manor. There were two guards posted in front of the door, one on the west side, one on the east, and one in the courtyard. _Only five? _My hope sank down into a deep sea of despair. Five guards, and one old guy. Did they really think that little of me? Okay, fine! I was just going to have to show them what I was really made of!

I made a daring leap from the tree onto the top of the stone wall surrounding the place. Thanks to my black kimono, and a moonless night, I avoided being seen. My feet made a muted thip sound as I landed on the other side. Hm? How would I get their attention without killing them? After all, my only target was the old guy. A rock, about the size of my fist sat to my right, grinning, I picked it up, and threw it over to the west side. Upon landing, it made a nice little clattering noise, that sent all guards present running.

Easy enough. Quickly, I ran to the west wall. I was in luck! It seemed that every single rich house you find has some sort of vine system growing up to the roof.

"Dammit! It was just a false alarm!"

"False alarm? Rocks don't move without being thrown. Come on, there has to be an intruder nearby!"

Crap! Gathering all my energy in my legs, I sprang straight up. Surprise! I actually managed to jump eight feet up. When I had my hands securely wrapped around the interwoven vines, I began my ascent. On the top floor, I happened to peek in a window. Kneeling by the door with her back to me was a girl about my age. Everything about her screamed despair. She was a perfect picture of hopelessness. Tears streamed down her porcelain cheeks as her chest heaved from choked sobs. Well, this was where I would get off. Raising a fist, I smashed through the window. She looked up at the sound of breaking glass. Her watery eyes widened in shock at the sight of another human being who was not an old man.

"W-Who…are you?"

She asked in a creaking, raspy voice. Apparently, she had spent a long time crying. I took a step forward. Her eyes caught my sword, and she backed towards the door.

"Who I am doesn't matter. Go. You can probably climb down, and sneak out if you're careful."

"Sneak out? I can't leave!"

Can't leave? Did that mean she actually _liked _the idea of being sold to some stranger who would use her as his personal prostitute? Rich girls these days. Jeez.

"Are you stupid? You have to leave. If you don't you'll be sold to some man in a far off country. Do you not understand that?"

Then the waterworks started.

"I..I can't escape! Mr. Ha-Hana…ke sw-swore he would hunt…me d-down and k-k-kill me! My father is dead…and m-my m-mother ran o-off with a-another man! I-I have no one!"

Wow. She _really _didn't understand. This girl had looked directly at my sword, backed away, and now she was telling me she couldn't leave? Disappointing.

"Look. You don't get it. You _can _leave. Because-"

I told her, unsheathing my sword. It caught the fragments of starlight, and glimmered like a large diamond of death.

"I'm going to kill this man."

Those six words made her bolt straight up, rush forward and grab me tightly around the shoulders. Her eyes were wild with blue lightning.

"Are you crazy?! If you kill him-"

"If I kill him, you go free."

Now that knocked some sense into her. She let go of me, and backed away. Raising an arm, she gestured to the door.

"Through that door. Turn right, continue until you reach the fifth door on you left. That is his main room."

I nodded, and walked forth. The door was unlocked. Surprising, and then again it wasn't. If you swore to kill someone, if they fled from you and they practically had no family, then you didn't really need to lock the door. A darkened hallway met me. No sound reached my ears. Stepping out onto a plush carpet, I looked both up and down the hallway. Once again, no sound. Where were the guards? Were they really that big of idiots?

"Hey."

I turned back to the girl, but the only thing that remained was a vacant, and quiet room. Without its occupant, it actually seemed a bit creepy. Smart girl. She obviously took the initiative and went with what I was saying. Score one for me. Now, if I could only go for the double pointer, I would win this little game. I quietly sheathed my sword, and stepped out into the hall, shutting the door softly behind me. The whole manor was as dark as a ravens wing, and as silent as a graveyard. That troubled me, then again, it was quite thrilling. Looks like I would be killing more than one tonight.

Cl-click. The sound of a gun barrel being cocked caused me to spin around. Standing at the end of the hall was one of the guards. His gun was aimed right at my chest.

"Hmph. Stupid woman. You think you can actually kill anything?"

Bang! With the speed of the wind, I unsheathed my blade. The bullet hit the broad side of my sword, and bounced off back onto the ground. Crushed and useless. The feeling was welling up within me again. That beautiful, sweet seduction of blood being spilled. Five more rounds were fired. All of them useless. Now it was my turn. I raced forward, and slashed, severing the guard's right arm from his shoulder. He shrieked in agony, and fell to his knees, his blood dieing the light blue carpet a dark, malicious red.

"Ya, see. That's the problem with a gun. You use up all six bullets, and what do you have left? Nothing. A sword on the other hand…"

There was a meaty slish sound as he was decapitated.

"Never needs to be re-loaded. Life lesson for ya there pal."

The corpse fell to the floor with a solid thud. I looked at my sword, which was dripping scarlet. The smell of blood enriched my senses. I licked off as much as I could. Animal instinct began to gather inside my soul, that would burst forth from the weapon I carried. I began to run, not caring if I was heard anymore. Did it matter? I had just killed a gunman. I had seen the bullet's path! There was no way I could be stopped tonight!

"Hey! There she is!"

"Kill her!"

The other four showed up in record time. Smiling, I hurried forward. It didn't take long to dispose of those cowards. The last, stared up at me, coughing blood. He was lying in a sea of red, whimpering and begging to be spared? Yeah, spare scum like that? Forget it!

P-Please…don't kill me…I…I'll…"

"You'll what? Die on your own? Perfect! Makes my job easier!"

Before I left him to choke on his own blood, I did him the nice favor of cutting off his right hand. Just in case he tried to shoot me as I was walking away. It's not being cowardly, I was letting him take joy in his last moments. If that moron got the notion in his head to fire a gun at me as he lay dying, well…let's just say, not pretty. I ignored the spluttering sounds as I stepped over the cadavers, and continued onto my next target. The fifth door on the left is what the girl had said. Lucky me, it was also the one at the end of the hall. Leaning forward, I put my ear to the door, and listened.

Breathing met my ears. Fast and shallow, the breathing of a terrified man. I licked my lips. Ah, how fun! The prey had been chased to the corner by the wolf, and now it would turn and fight for its useless, pathetic life. Brilliant! Another sound reached my ears. A sob. A woman. Jack ass. Figures he'd have more than one holed up in this prison. Taking confidence in my situation, I turned the knob slowly, relishing in the gasps and moans from the other side.

When I opened the door, I found myself staring down the barrel of a gun. Guns. Is that all people ever used anymore? Man, I thought rich guys knew about proper weaponry! At the back of the room, huddled into the wall was a twenty something looking brunette. She wore one of those really short dresses, you know, the kind that comes to the top of your thigh? Crystal tear streams made sparkling lines on her darkened sorrowful face. Mr. Hanake trembled as he held the gun at my face. He was one ugly son of a bitch. First off, he was fat, second, he had a nose the size of small melon, and he was completely bald! Not to mention the gray hair sticking out of his ears, or the mole on his cheek. Repugnant.

"We can-"

He never finished his sentence. Both gun and body had been sliced in half. Both halves of the body made a wet smacking sound as the hit the floor, blood pooling between the two. The girl looked up at me. Salvation was just beginning to peek over the horizon of anguish.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

Wiping blood off my sword, I turned away.

"I'm not what you think I am. I am not your savior. I didn't do this in order to help. This is my job. Not a good Samaritan act."

With that, I left the girl to finding proper clothes, and getting the hell out of this fancy whore house.

* * * * *

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Local merchant, Aoshima Hanake, was killed last night! But that's not the worst part! They say that police have found evidence that he had been selling young girls from rich families to men in Middle Eastern countries."

"My how scandalous!"

"I know! Say, did you…"

I walked away. That was all I needed to hear.

"Hey, Tori!"

I looked over at my shoulder to where the rest of my family was. Mom was smiling and talking to Megumi who was standing outside her clinic, while Kenji was inspecting some dried herbs. Dad waved me over and I jogged back.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Well, your mother and I were thinking that while we were here, we would stop by the Akabeko, and get a bite to eat. Sound okay? Kenji's already put in his word."

"Sure thing!"

Dad smiled. A gentle wind blew from the south, carrying a delicate warmth. Mom and Dad walked a bit ahead of Kenji and I.

"Hey, look sis, Geishas."

Across the street was a group of Geishas. One stood out from the rest. She was wearing a plain white kimono, and she had sort of a sad beauty to her. She caught my eye, and for a moment looked shocked, but then tipped me a gracious smile. I smiled back and kept on walking. Kenji had question marks in his eyes.

"You know her?"

In truth I did. She was the girl I had first encountered upon entering the manor of my target last night. So she had no family, but at least she found some sort of a better ending. What happened to the other one? I'm not exactly sure, but I hoped she had someone. The again, fate loved pulling and playing with the strings of a person's life.

"Nope. Never seen her before. But its always kind to return the smile isn't it**?"**

**Well, there's chapter five! Oooohhh the mystery of what happened to the brunette! Anyways, R&R thanks!**


	6. Discovered

**Welcome to Death's Beauty, chapter six!**

Like a cold, biting wind, I dashed through the moonlight, bringing only death. My breath came out in short gasps as I ran through the back alleys, looking for my latest target. Kiroshi Nakayama. He was the leader of arsonist group that had up till now successfully burned over ten important government buildings to the ground, killing those who had been unfortunately trapped inside. Overall, a total of fifteen people had been murdered. A small number of bodies, but what the death toll lacked, the property damages skyrocketed in prices.

The night was clear, the moon took up half the sky, gazing down upon me. A lifeless eye, void of feeling or heart, illuminating my path with its cold light. As far as I had been told, Nakayama and his group operated at night, and their base was stationed by a river, weird for people who enjoy playing with fire. I leapt up high into the branches of an oak, catching my breath, and waiting for movement. Tonight, Nakayama's group would be heading for the governor's mansion, I was to meet them halfway there, and dispose of them. Easy.

Footsteps met my ears, hard, heavy, and with a purpose. Smiling, I made sure my sword was safely attached to my hip, and jumped down. They were a few yards away, I couldn't make out any features yet, but they didn't look like a very big group. Seven men, each carrying a bucket of oil, and matches walked up the path, silent, and brooding.

In the past, Nakayama had been a government official, but he'd been fired due to rumors about tax evasions, which had turned out later to be true. Now he was just a lowly arsonist. Talk about a fall. I stood in the center of the path, with my sword drawn, waiting their approach. I didn't wait long. They stopped a few feet in front of me, the foremost, Kiroshi himself. His black hair was short, and his eyes shown with their own fire.

"Who the hell are you?"

I unsheathed my blade, the moonlight radiated off its cold steel, making it glow.

"Kiroshi Nakayama. You have caused many to suffer with your hateful actions. Tonight, it shall come to an end."

"Like hell!"

I'm not sure who said that, but those were his last words. Faster than the wind, I had him decapitated. As his body fell to the ground, there was a moment of silence, followed by angry shouting, and the drawing of weapons. Seems people like this come prepared. No one even saw me coming. Blood soaked the ground as the cries and shrieks of pain filled the air. Six bodies lay in a miniature pond of blood, where was the seventh? A frantic, wild heartbeat met my ears, fueling my bloodlust. I looked over to the oak I had been positioned in a few moments ago. That beautiful, fear ridden rhythm was coming from behind that tree.

"It's no use."

Raising my sword, I slashed the tree, easily slicing off the upper half. Crouched behind the now stumped tree was Nakayama himself. He jumped and turned to face me. Ah what a wonderful emotion fear was! It made the heart beat at an alarming rate, accelerated the speed of blood as it rushed through one's veins, and overall, it made killing more fun. He dropped to his knees, quivering like a low dog.

"P-Please. I'm begging you! Don't kill me! I…I'll change! I swear I-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. In the time it took for a cricket to chip, I had my blade jabbed right between his eyes. I pulled my sword up and out, and watched as he collapsed at my feet. Licking the blood of my sword, I replied;

"Fool. When I say I'm going to kill you, the best thing you can do is die."

* * * * *

Another night, another target. Only this one, closer to home, literally. Known for targeting the wives of rich noblemen, a local gang, called Light's Death had kidnapped and brutally murdered a total of eight women. Tonight, they were to strike in town. I grinned at the promise of slaughter to come. 15 men total in the gang, I could already smell the blood, and hear their pitiful screams. This night's killing would be the best.

Everything was immersed in an eerie calm when I reached the center of town. Black shadows writhed in the corners of alleyways, desperate to escape. Small shafts of starlight filtered down from in between the clouds, making silver beams that trailed from the sky to the earth. The silence was both calming and terrifying. Questions buzzed through my mind: Where were they? Where would they strike? I ignored them. Thoughts like that would just distract me and get me no where.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

That told me all I needed to know. Unsheathing my sword, I dashed to a nearby alley. Six men had a woman cornered, and took turns beating her. Her side oozed blood from where somebody's sword had done the work. Two frightened brown orbs found my sparkling violet cat's eyes. I could see the desperate plea in her eyes for help, but one look from me urged her to stay silent. Blowing my cover would not do me, nor her any good. Besides, the killing was sweeter when marinated in fear.

"C'mon bitch. Cough up the fuckin money!"

The poor timid creature backed away and huddled in the corner of the alley, shaking and crying. A wilting rose amongst so many withered, decrepit thorns. Crystal streams of tears cut a clear path down her face as she cast a terrified look up at her tormentors.

"I…I t-told you be-before. He-He-He keeps a-all the mo-mo-money locked in his sh-shop…even I don't kn-know the com-com-combination. I'm sorry!"

Bap! A meaty thud reached my ears as a fist collided with the side of her head. The man who had demanded the money, glowered down at the woman. Now that he had run out of games, his prey had become useless. Now he was sharpening his teeth, trying to decide if it would now hold any flavor. The woman hid her head in her hands, quite aware of her fate. She was hauled up by the hair, by another man, wearing brown. Ugh. Why is it the bad guys always wear such dull toned color clothes?

"That's quite enough boys. Let the poor little mouse go so you can sharpen your fangs on something more satisfying."

All heads, save for one, whipped around, expressions of surprise and shock set upon their faces. The man who had asked the woman for money, the leader obviously, replaced his shock with a cocky grin, and stepped forward.

"Another broad? I got news for ya honey. The six of us here are part of Light's Death, the most powerful gang roaming these streets right now, and no one, not even the most trained of the sword cops have been able to even come close to taking us down. So what makes you think…"

He got in my face. I could smell sake on his breath, along with something else that I reasoned would be better left unidentified.

"…that a worthless, pathetic little girl like you can stand in our way? Even if you are carrying a sword. Which is more than I can say for _her _over there."

He said, jerking a thumb back over his shoulder. _Worthless. Pathetic. _Those words clawed through my mind with rabid intensity, drawing up thick red tendrils of anger. Clenching my hand around my sword, I snarled.

"Shut up."

His grin widened. That expression soon became his death mask. I don't even think he saw anything, after all, he didn't even blink. His head rolled across the ground, still bearing that cocky grin, a mere trickle of blood seeped out of the wound, squirting tiny red spouts onto the ground. The body spammed and jerked forward, before collapsing in a mock parody of final life.

The five remaining backed away, some gasped when their backs came cruelly up against a wall. Their fault, they had chosen this corner as their own deathbeds, now all they had to do was lie down so I could slam the lid shut tight. I stepped over the fallen comrade, nudging the decapitated head aside with the flat edge of my blade.

"Oh dear, looks like the hunters are now the hunted. Hm, who should I take first? You?"

I pointed my sword to a short scruff of a guy, who trembled next to a much taller man, who looked about ready to wet himself. Men. So pathetic.

"Or you? To tell the truth, you all look like you'll provide good game."

They all stood silent and still, waiting for the other to go down so they could have a chance at saving their own lives. Good luck. I walked in the thick of the small group, occasionally, mock leaping at them, smiling when they cringed. Five men in a powerful gang reduced to frightened children, and all because of a woman with some sword fighting skills. I stopped in front of the man who had the woman up by her hair. The look in her eyes was a combination of gratitude and sheer terror.

I leaned in close and whispered in his ear:

"Let her go. She's not part of this."

He growled.

"Bullshit!"

He brought his fist down in a savage arc. In less than a minute, his hand plopped on the ground in a bloody mess. He howled, and cradled the bloody stump to his chest. His eyes danced with a fine fury, but there was an undertone of fear. He knew well what would happen if he didn't follow my orders, but he was willing to fight, Good enough for me, more fun that way.

"Last time. It should've been the only time. Let. Her. Go. Now."

I made the last word low and guttural, pressing my blade to his throat, just to be sure he got the message this time. His fingers slowly loosened their grip on her hair, and she slumped a little gracefully to the ground. She got up, dusting off her kimono, glancing around at the other men around her.

"If any one of you has any notion of taking off after her, forget it. It won't take me long to kill this punk here, so I'd extend my life by a few precious moments here. It might make all the difference. A few prayers might save you from rotting in hell."

No one moved, not even a breath of wind stirred the dust upon the ground. Taking need of the opportunity, the woman fled, never once looking back. Blood pounded through my veins, singing in high, hungry tones. My pulse beat a rhythmic throb, reverberating through my head. _Blood…kill…blood…kill… _it sang over and over again. An animal solely of carnage, clawed through my humanity, shredding my reserve.

They crowded in around me, their scents heavy and stifling. My own breath came out slow and measured, counting my heartbeats, anticipating which would strike first. The keening wail of a sword spiraled into the night air, sending signals of ecstasy into my brain. The battle would now begin, and the smell of blood would once more be thick in the air.

They came at me all at once, none of them lasted longer than a minute. Blood soaked the ground, ran down walls, making little red rivulets. Screams went unheard, for no one screamed for long, the alley was choked with the rich smell of blood and the sickening stench of death. Four of the five lay dead, whilst the other lay dying. His gaze met mine, the look in his eyes mirrored that of a cornered rabbit, wild and frenzied, his sanity was trembling on the edge, threatening to plummet into that darkness and never be regained.

"Where are the others?"

He shook his head, blood from a wound on his cheek spraying all over. I knelt beside him, putting my hand on his cheek, he recoiled as if my touch alone could kill him. My tone was gentle, but my words were savage.

"Tell me where the rest of you gang is otherwise, you death might become far more painful."

Still he refused. I stood and without remorse, jammed my sword into his gut, wrenching it left and right, reveling in the agonized shrieks as his entrails spilled out onto his legs.

"Now, I really didn't want to do that, but you didn't give me any other options. Tell me or the next one goes right in your groin."

The pain was excruciating, I could see it in his eyes. He didn't have long to hold out, it was either tell me and die peacefully, or keep withholding information and die slowly and painfully. Blood trickled out of his mouth as he tried to form coherent words.

"They're…some…where….in…town…."

"Where is somewhere?"

"…I…don't…..know….."

With those last three words, he died, in a pool of blood, with his organs all over the place. I turned my back on the dead man, and took off after the rest of my targets.

* * * * *

It didn't take long for me to find the other members of Light's Death. After a couple minutes of scouting, I had found them skulking around a manor house, trying to find the best way in without being caught. They were made short work of.

Now, with the sickle of the moon to aide me, I set out for home, relishing in the thoughts of a hot bath. My lower arms and hands were bathed in blood, and there were even a few splashes on my face. My sword however, was like the moon itself, clear and crystalline, not a single drop of blood on it. A gentle breeze slithered around my ankles, cooling my skin, and urging me on.

The trees were mere outlines in the dark as I climbed the towering steps to my home, their leaves whispering secrets to one another in the alien language of nature. In the brush small animals went about their lives, ignoring me and the scent of blood I carried about myself. That was the thing about animals that humans refused to accept: their indifference. A fox would no sooner care about the death of another fox, than it would try hunting a dog. A mother animal will kill her own children just to preserve her own survival. Humans viewed that as savage and barbaric behavior, when itt was actually quite intelligent.

If the fox wasted its time mourning, it would make a quick and easy meal. If the mother animal tried to move den, it would shock her children, or slow her down, and draw out their imminent demise. In this world where survival is a bloody fight for one's life, it's humanity that falls short. Emotions and intellect block base instinct. There is no knowledge to killing, it is in everyone, it is the key of survival. Kill some one, save yourself.

I stopped in front of the door, and stretched every one of my stiff muscles. Oh yeah, a hot bath would do quite nicely. I slid back the door and my mind froze. Standing on the other side of the door, on the farside of the room with his back to me Kenji. _Maybe he won't turn around. It's possible he didn't hear you._ As much as I would have loved to believe them, those thoughts were completely false. Kenji had heard me come in, he turned around, and I watched in silence as his mouth fell open.

"Sister…"


	7. Leaving

**Finally! After a long anticipated wait, chapter seven of Death's Beauty is now on Fanfiction, and is readable by anyone! Okay…maybe not anyone…considering the violence…and the cussing…but anyway, anyway, before I ramble, I present you with the long waited chapter seven! *Curtains unfold* **

"Sister…"

We stared at each other for, in memory seemed like half an eternity, but in reality was only a mere minute. The shock on Kenji's face penetrated me straight to the bone. He took a step toward me, and that broke my paralysis.

"I'm going to take a bath."

I said this in a curt manner, cutting him off before he opened his mouth. No. I didn't want to face him. Not now, not with the blood of enemies staining my skin. Maybe the soothing effect of the hot water would melt the cold animal in my heart back into its cage for the night, so I could talk to my brother in earnest, and not in a cold unfeeling tone.

* * * * *

I slid into the hot water slowly, reveling in the pleasure that coursed up my body in slow teasing waves. Red thread-like tendrils snaked off into the farther corners of the bath where they soon sank to the bottom, veiled by the shadows that had gathered there. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, going over what had happened at the start of the night, and the newest occurrence when I got home, near the night's close. Kenji had seen me practically covered in blood, which meant if given time, he would probably begin to get a good idea of what I was doing and tell our parents. Not good. I drew my knees up, and slid in even further, letting the water envelop my head completely. My…job if you will, depended on secrecy, and if I was found out, my parents would be outraged…but so would the members of the Tadashi Tsubeta, and if word got back that I had slipped…I would more than likely be assassinated. In order for things to work, I needed Kenji to keep quiet. I didn't like the idea of having to silence him by my own means. I lifted my head up out of the water. There was a vibrating sensation in my ears and nose as my senses returned. It was quiet.

Too quiet. Silently, like a wraith, I rose up and stepped out of the tub. I grabbed a rolled up towel, the one that I had brought in with me, and tucked it under my arm. I would need it when I exited the bath house. But not to cover myself. Cool night air gently kissed my bare skin. I could feel my skin tingle as it gently caressed my bare breasts, and threw my hair over my right shoulder. There was no one outside. At least…not that I could _see. _I could sense the presence of another person, hear the rapid, panicky heartbeat, and smell the sweet thick sweat. Silently, so as not to disturb my quarry, I slid the door shut, and took my sword out of the towel. It gleamed in the moonlight, looking strikingly similar to the fangs possessed by the hellhound; Cerberus. All at once, everything happened. My prey leapt out from where it had been hiding, hitting me broadside with a wooden sword. One of the many swords used in mock combat by my brother and I. I whipped around snarling, slicing clean through the wood, and bringing up the tip of my blade to kiss the tip of my brother's nose.

He stared back at me. But it was not Kenji. The calm, quiet face of the older brother that I had come to know was distorted by an unimaginable anger, and beneath that, a look of utter betrayal. His eyes were no longer serene blue orbs that held peaceful waters. The glass had broken and the blue pools were boiling in a tide of rage. His lips were pulled back in a mask that made my snarl look like a harmless smile. For a moment I felt genuinely afraid of my brother…but only for a moment.

"What do you think you're doing Kenji?"

I asked, not bothering to lay down my sword, I could tell he had another weapon hidden. He didn't answer, instead he leapt at me, and brought out a knife. It was fairly large, and the way it gleamed in the moonlight, it appeared very, very sharp. I sidestepped, careful to stay ahead of him, waiting for the right moment to smack it right out of his hand. I ducked under a wild right thrust, and saw my chance. I got the dull edge of my blade under his arm and with a good half of my strength, wrapped him good and hard on the wrist. The knife flew from his hand, and landed quivering in the ground, handle up.

We stared at each other for another long moment. I, with my sword, and my brother, now pitifully unarmed. The anger in his eyes simmered, but refused to die down.

"You're a murder Tori!"

I was taken back. Not by the words but by the rage in my brother's voice. I'd never heard him speak like that, not once. To tell you the truth, it hurt. It hurt me pretty deep.

"Kenji…what…"

"Oh yeah play innocent, real good sis! You come home covered in blood, and all you can do there is stand there, and say 'what?' like nothing ever happened?! Do you realize what kind of disgrace you brought on us?!"

_Slash!_

A thin red line blossomed on Kenji's right cheek, spurting blood. It dripped on the ground creating tiny red flowers. All of Kenji's anger drained from his veins, and went straight to mine. I stood there, panting, trying desperately to get my temper under control. I didn't want to kill him. No matter how angry I was with him, this was still my brother, no matter what he'd just tried to do.

"T-Tori…"

"Is that it? Is that all you care about? The credibility of the Kamiya family swordsmanship? Do you realize that you just tried to kill your own sister?!"

Lightning seared behind Kenji's eyes, he gasped, and sank to his knees.

"Oh gods, Tori I'm sorry! Please forgive me! When I saw you like that…I thought…I thought-"

"I'm a murderer, correct? You thought me a disgrace, a defiler of mother's family swordsmanship, and wanted me gone. At that moment you decided I was no longer your sister, but a beast. And like all beasts I should be hunted down and killed."

He stared at me, shock, pain and anguish making his eyes bluer and rounder than ever before. I believe at that moment he fully realized everything that had gone through his head from the moment he saw me to the moment he made the decision to kill me. I could see the regret and disgust flash clearly across his eyes. But there was something else back there too. Dark and groveling, it skulked around in the confines of Kenji's mind, whispering hideous things, convincing him they were true.

"Why? Why do you do…this?"

I put down my sword, assuming that my brother was no longer an immediate threat.

"The organization I work for is designed to seek out those who are responsible for the corrupt nature of people today. Those with secrets darker than a raven's wing, those who have committed acts that such deeds are not even whispered so unspeakable are these horrendous crimes. My job is to find these people and deal with them properly. By ridding the world of the scum that breeds in its murky corners, we can hope for a better world"

"By committing senseless murders. Tell me something sister, you appear clean now, but how much blood stains your soul? Are you bathing in it? Does it drip from every pore, or do you just content yourself with standing waist deep in the blood of those slain?"

"The organization I work for is a necessary evil. They have been operating for years, keeping the worst people off the streets by putting them in coffins. Someone who only studies under the pacifist's sword could never truly understand."

Kenji stood up, his hair hung in his face, obscuring his eyes from view of the moon's light. A soft steady wind blew through the ground of the dojo. It was a high pitched moan, the sound seemed to carry all the suffering felt by every living thing. A dark wind. Like a cold shadow, it blew over through people, chilling their hearts, and sharpening the killers within.

"That doesn't mean-"

"Kenji, if you say anything about this to anyone, I will kill you. You must keep quiet, because if you don't we will both die. You by my hand, and me by my superiors. So, if you value both our lives, you will comply."

With that, I gathered my sword, and my towel. I wrapped it securely around me, repressing a shiver at the sudden warmth from the thick white cloth. The wind had died, and now only silence hung in the air; heavy and suffocating. I walked towards the dojo, away from my brother who still knelt on the ground. What happened now would be up to him, not me.

**Kenji's P.O.V**

_I…I can't believe myself. I just…just tried to… _I couldn't finish the thought. Emotions raced through my head, blurring into indistinct colors and shaped before I could even begin to identify them. The sound of my sister's fading footsteps reached my ears. I wanted to stop her, to call her back, to say _anything_, but my voice had left me. Perhaps it too was ashamed of what I had done.

_But she's a killer. You know that Kenji. You've known since you first saw her, covered in blood. And remember, remember the look in her eye? That crazed yet lucid light? Those were the eyes of a killer! You did what was right, don't beat yourself up for it._

"Shut up."

_No._

"Yes."

_Go to hell_

"You first."

It was the voice of corruption that spoke those words, and I knew where that voice had stemmed from: my anger, and pain. Anger at what Tori had been doing, right under my and my parents' nose, pain for what Tori was throwing away; her life. The very same life our father had left many years ago to live side by side peacefully with Mom. What would he say? What would he do? I tried not to think of it. Our father had, alongside our mother put so much effort into the both of us being raised under what Tori had referred to as 'The Pacifist's Sword' Dad had turned his back on killing because at the end he had finally realized what it did. It took everything you loved, there was no such thing as justified murder, whether it was for revenge, or a job, the principle still remained: You were still taking a human life.

I stood up, and closed my eyes, and went back over the battle just fought. The look in her eyes…that look had sent black chills down my spine. It _was _a killer's look, and the surprising thing was that it fit her face perfectly. Almost as if it had been made for her to wear it. I walked over to wear the knife stuck up out of the ground, it no longer quivered, just stuck there like a warped rose reaching out for an alien sun. It came up easily out of the ground. I looked at the blade, it was clean for being impaled into the ground, my own face was reflected in the silver glass, but it wasn't me I was looking at, it wasn't even me I was seeing. I kept seeing Tori again and again, walking away from me, her sword dripping a thin line of blood, my blood, onto the ground, her bare feet scuffing the dirt, and her fire red hair billowing out around her.

Tori….. I was starting to lose my sister.

* * * * *

(We're back to Tori on this one)

"Leaving?!"

Kenji dropped the wash back into the basin, it made a soft plop sound, sending little ripples that rolled into one another until the water was calm. I finished hanging the rest of my load, mainly town kimonos belonging to Mom and me on the line before I turned to answer my brother.

"Yeah. I got word this morning that a very powerful branch of the Yakuza will be meeting there to discuss their flow in crime thingy, or whatever it is they do. My assignment is to go there and kill everyone, and then destroy the building to rid it of any evidence. That is…if I leave any"

"How…"

"The Yakuza has many enemies. But they also have many powerful members. A good few are politicians, others skilled swordsmen. The Tadashi Tsubeta is a well known network of spies and assassins, and although each member has their own distinct way of taking an opponent down, our work is easy to tell. There is no unnecessary kills, and the targets are taken quickly and efficiently. If word got out that Tadashi Tsubeta was behind a Yakuza assassination, the organization would be uprooted and exterminated."

Kenji looked at me for a long time. There were gray clouds in his eyes, and a deep fog on his face. He was choosing his next words carefully, mulling over everything I had said. Finally, after some considered time thinking, he asked;

"Will you be going alone?"

Typical concern, but all the same, I was touched.

"No. I will have two other members with me. We are strong, but only a fool estimates the Yakuza. Especially the Kyoto branch."

Kenji went back to the wash, he tried to look like he was concentrating on what he was doing, but I could see right through it. He and I had spent many years playing together, and I knew that he was trying to hide what he truly felt. Overhead, white puffy clouds drifted across the sky, betraying the fact that autumn was on it's way. A crow sang a butchered melody in a nearby tree, but was not joined by others. Disappointed, it left its perch in a maple and began to seek the company of other birds.

"When will you be leaving?"

I truly didn't want to tell him, but I knew I had too.

"Tonight."

He handed the now clean clothes to me, and I took them out to hang on the line. My mind buzzed and tingled like a healing wound. This would be my first group assassination. I knew that the higher-ups would want to test me sooner or later. Little had I known that my test would be this big. My blade was looking forward to it, but my mind was apprehensive. What would happen if I was indeed killed? I looked back at my brother who now stood, staring off into space. What indeed?

When I was finished, I went back to my brother and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. He took it and gripped it strongly, almost as if I would leave right then and there.

"If it's not to much trouble…may I see you off?"

I smiled.

"I'd like nothing better dear brother."

* * * * *

Night had fallen like a shroud, and with it a chilly wind. Mother Nature had fallen asleep with the sun, and now her sister, The Night had taken control. Sending her cold claws deep into the heart of any living thing caught outside tonight. Luckily, the sky was clear and the stars as bright as the moon. Like supporting actors in a play the were determined to shine their best, but not overshadow the lead.

Kenji and I stood at the front gate of the Kamiya dojo, no words had been spoken yet, we just stood there, looking at each other.

"Well, I guess this is good-bye."

"For now."

Poor Kenji, he could hardly keep the tears out of his voice. I took my brother's hands in my own. For the first time, I truly felt the skin with lay over the bones and muscle. It was a little blistered from all the vigorous practicing he had done, but at the same time it was smooth and soft like a baby's. Kenji pulled me into a tight hug. At that moment I wanted the world to end. At that moment, I loved my brother so deeply that not a single person could have lived long enough to fully measure it.

"Tori…come back. You owe me that much."

'I will.' That was what I wanted to tell him, but I couldn't, and we both knew it. My mission was dangerous, even if I had help. The chance that I would live was much slimmer than the chance that I would die. I stepped out of our embrace and looked him square in the face.

"Kenji. If I do die, there's something I want you to have. In my room, I have a small desk, and in the drawer is a black crystal. You may have to dig for it, but it's there. I want you to keep that as a memento. And…keep your chin up…okay? Because we both know that if roles were reversed, you wouldn't want me to suffer for the rest of my life right?"

"But how long will the rest of your life be sis?"

"…I don't know."

We stared at each other for another moment, then I leaned forward, and planted a kiss on my brother's forehead.

"I love you Kenji. I don't think that I could have asked for a better brother. Hell, I don't think there even _is _one. You're the best Kenji."

He smiled, but that didn't brighten the tears that now swam closer to the surface.

"You too sis. I love you too, even if you give me two hundred kinds of trouble."

The wind picked up, as if signaling my leave. I stepped back, and turned away. I didn't want to look at his face any longer, for fear that I just might abandon my mission and stay. They say the bond between close siblings often goes unmatched. I don't know exactly who this elusive 'They' happens to be, but he or she is right. I had reached the halfway mark on the steps when Kenji's voice caught my attention;

"You still owe me another practice battle!"

I smiled.

"I'll come back and whoop your butt again if that's what you want. You have my word on that!"

I hear Kenji's smug huff, but I could also feel his hidden pain. While my feet continued to walk away from the only place I had called home, my mind stayed rooted to the spot. Eventually it began to catch up with me, after many lungful looks back, but I knew my brother had already gone back inside.

The road to town was quiet and deserted. I was to meet my companions in Kyoto. Sadly, I would have to walk. A carriage traveling in the dead of night causes to much suspicion. As I continued my solitary journey, I looked up at the sky. I continued staring even when my vision began to blur and double. I allowed myself only one tear as I stared up at the full moon before I continued on.

On to Kyoto, and on to my mission.

**Now that my computer's back, I'll be sure to update in a more fashionable manner. Chapter eight is coming soon. What will happen to Tori? What about Kenji? Will he chase after his sister, or will he let her fade into the shadows as she had done so many nights before? Stay tuned! **


	8. Bloodline

**Welcome to chapter eight of Death's Beauty! The fanfic is progressing to its final stages, who knew it would be that fast? I must say, I've come to like Tori, and I've grown fond of the story, but ah well. If I were to drop off because I love the story too much, then it would disappoint you guys. And here it is in its full splendor…chapter eight! *cool theme music***

My hair was thrown back gently as the wind played its usual solitary game of chase. Liquid streams of gold, wove through the emerald land, glittering as they began to rise through the air. I stood atop a cliff, looking down on Kyoto. Before me, lay my mission, and my own death warrant.

_Kenji…_

Leaving that night had been the hardest thing I had ever had to do. The tears in Kenji's eyes made me realize how much he truly cared for me. How much I cared for him. His words came back to me.

'Come back…you owe me that much.'

It suddenly occurred to me that on all the missions I'd been on so far, not counting this one, the risk factor had never occurred to me. On every single mission I had completed, I could have been killed. Every single one. Countless people who had been deemed dangerous by Tadashi Tsubeta were in fact more than met the eye. I couldn't count how many times I'd had to dodge hidden weapons, kill unexpected backup, and once I had been extremely lucky not to trip an armed bomb.

As the morning fog began to disperse, I turned, and began to set off down the cliff. I left my somber thoughts to perish in the oncoming light, and turned the front half of my mind to the task ahead.

* * * * *

**Kenji's P.O.V.**

Sleep hadn't even bothered to visit me that night. Tori…my sister had left, vanished into the night, walking along the same path our father had taken so many years ago. I had sat by my open window, and watched the moon traverse lazily across the black sea of sky, wondering if my sister was looking up at that same moon. And crying as I was. As soon as she had gone, the tears had flowed freely down my face. I could feel the twin streams coursing their way down my cheeks, and hear them plop softly to the ground below.

Now, with the sun rising, I raised a hand to my face, and traced the lined made by the now dried tears. Somewhere in the nearby woods, came the cry of a bird. I recognized it as the same crow that had squawked in an adjacent tree yesterday. Strange, when I had heard that crow squawk yesterday, it hadn't affected me…but that morning…something was different. There was something chilling in the cry, almost as if it were trying to tell me it was too late.

No! Tori would come back, I knew that. After all, she owed me another match didn't she? I stood up, stretching my stiff muscles, and crept down the hall, and into my sister's bedroom. When I opened the door, unexpected shock hit me. In the back part of my mind, I had expected to see her there, laying in her bed roll sound asleep and murmuring the strange half-speech of dreams.

Instead, I saw only an empty room, no bed roll, no Tori. She had left the window open, and now a chilly early morning breeze made the purple billow curtains outward. Purple. For some reason she really seemed to like that color. Crossing the room silently, I shut the window. When I turned around, my mind, which had been in a buzzing haze ever since last night, finally caught up to the present, and that's when it hit me:

I might never get to see my sister again.

I sank to my knees, as the realization overwhelmed me. Why? She was only fifteen! Fate was so cruel, death, the greatest leveler, the two made a perfect couple. Death favored neither race no social status, and Fate just plain didn't care. I looked up, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw it: the little desk drawer Tori had been talking about last night.

It hunkered beneath the window, the sunlight had yet to find it, so it sat there in the shadows, looking as lost and sad as I was. My eyes fell upon the drawer that probably contained a few odds and ends, then I remembered what she had told me last night; _"There's something I want you to have. In my room there's a little desk drawer. In it is a black crystal. You may have to dig for it, but it's there." _

I scooted over to it, and cautiously opened the drawer. Inside lay a scarf, the necklace of flowers that I had given here when I was six, and a few hair ribbons, most of them purple. Upon closer inspection, I saw the black, shiny tip of something sticking up beneath a green hair ribbon. Brushing the emerald fabric aside, I gazed intently at what lay underneath. The crystal lay on the bottom of the drawer, like its own special secret. It was beautiful, I could instantly see why she had kept it.

Reaching in, I closed my hand around it, it was cool to the touch. I withdrew it from the drawer and held it up the sunlight. Tiny threads of light bounced of its surface in an array of colors. Something about the way the light refracted off the crystal seemed familiar. As I turned it to the left, the lights traveled to the far wall. Reflected there was a sea of green, gold, purple and blue, and in those colors, I saw why it had looked so familiar: There was an old ash out in the surrounding woods. It had been struck by lightning a few years back, and Tori and I used to play there when we were younger. To kids, at least to us, every time we went out there, we always found treasures.

I clutched the crystal tighter. A small tingle of energy went up my arm, but it wasn't painful…it was like…almost like it had captured some of Tori's essence and stored it. What I was holding wasn't a crystal, but a container of some of her energy.

The sun was starting to get higher now, I could clearly see the bright golden light streak across the deep blue of the autumn sky. Quietly, I exited my sister's room, still hanging on to the crystal, crept down the hall, and peeked in my parent's room. Their still sleeping forms huddled beneath the blanket, and the soft sounds of deep breathing met my ears. Smiling a bit, I shut the door, and walked out of the dojo, and headed for the old ash three.

* * * * *

It towered above the other trees, standing bold and black amidst the soft red and orange of the living trees. Its clawed branches tore at the sky, not quite reaching, the roots extended through the ground and a large rock. We had come here often, and played, hiding in the hollowed remains.

I put my left hand on the bark, it felt sooty and dead, but it was still important, because it contained memories of me and my sister. I removed my hand, and stepped back looking up at one of the many places she and I had spent important moments of our lives together.

_You do this as if she already died._

Yes. I did. Somehow, it made it easier, to accept the fact that she would die right now, then have it crashing down on me as it had back in her room. Closing my eyes, I turned and walked back home.

When I got home, both Mom and Dad were standing outside. When she saw me, Mom raced forward and enveloped me in a tight hug.

"Kenji where have you been?!"

My mind drew a blank, then it came to me: They had discovered Tori had left in the night, and when they found me missing, they feared the worst. For all intents and purposes, I loved my parents, but sometimes they could get overprotective. But they were just doing their job.

"I've just been outside. I couldn't sleep at all last night, so I thought an early morning walk would calm me."

"Then where is Tori?"

Mom let go of me, (and thank goodness, because I was starting to suffocate!), and looked at me intently, searching my face to see if I was hiding something. Over her shoulder, I could see Dad leaning against the door frame. He looked calm, but his hand were clenched around his reversed blade sword. He was scared, wait till he found out what had been going on!

I sighed. I knew I couldn't keep it a secret, so I told them what had happened and what I knew.

**Tori's P.O.V.**

The markets in Kyoto were packed. Vendors and shoppers crowded the streets peeing at the items the shopkeepers were selling. I was careful to stay with the crowd, and let no one see my sword. My black short kimono (my usual mission outfit) brushed up against my thighs as I made my way swiftly to my destination spot. I turned the corner, and headed straight for an abandoned building. It was three stories high, and the windows were no longer there.

Cautiously, I opened the door and stepped in. Immediately, someone dashed out of the shadows at me. I withdrew my sword, and struck out. There was a metallic clang as my sword clashes on a pair of daggers. Standing in front of me was a woman with her brown hair up in a ponytail, her face was set in a mask of anger and determination. Who was this girl? Was she a Yakuza assassin, who had beat me here? I only mildly considered those questions as I broke the metal connection between us, and slashed down and left. She dodged, and threw one of her daggers. I ducked and felt the air slice as it sailed over my head.

She rushed at me, I struck out with my leg and tripped her, she went sprawling, and I barely avoided having her remaining dagger plunge into my leg. The woman leapt up as soon as she struck the ground, and leapt for the dagger that had buried itself in the wall. I whirled and clipped her on the back. The sound of ripping skin and fabric made my heart beat faster. If she took notice she didn't show it, her hand clasped around the dagger and I heard it pull free. We stood there facing each other. She wan panting, and calculating her next move. I grinned and licked blood off my sword.

"That's enough Namako!"

I turned to see the an ash blond who was standing at the top of the dusty stairs, leaning against the balcony. The same ash blond man that I had met on the night of my acceptance into Tadashi Tsubeta, and the night of my first mission. He smiled apologetically at me.

"I'm sorry about this Tori. Namako just can't seem to control herself."

The woman, whose name was Namako snarled, baring her white little teeth.

"I can too control myself Yasuka!"

"Then explain to me why you immediately started fighting with Tori? Our mission is to annihilate the Yakuza branch meeting in Kyoto, or have you become so blind sighted by the past that you have forgotten your own comrades?"

Namako glared up at Yasuka, but she could see as well as I could that he was right. Dropping her snarl, she sheathed her daggers, and walked over to me. I could still see the bright flare of anger in her eyes., and immediately I didn't liker her.

"So you're the new recruit. Funny, I didn't think they'd send a _kid _to help."

Oh she did not!

"Whoops, I didn't realize there was a _seniority _system here."

I watched the transformation on her face as she flew across the room and grabbed me by the throat. We slammed to the floor, and I felt a pinprick as she lightly pressed sharp steel into my neck.

"You better watch that mouth of yours brat!"

I gave no indication of the simmering rage I felt. Instead, I smiled up at her and said:

"Why don't you just go back to the bone yard you old hag?"

"You little- !"

A shadow fell over the both of us, Yasuka was gripping Namako's wrist tightly, and I could see by the way her face was strained it was hurting her. Namako clasped her hand tighter around her dagger, but it would've been like trying to stab a stone with a toothpick for all the good it would do her. Yasuka stood above the both of use. Up close, I could see how deep green his eyes were. I could feel myself becoming lost in those eyes. His anger at Namako was evident, and it made his eyes glow. Luckily my face wasn't feeling hot, but my heart sure was.

"Namako, stop this now. I will have you returned to Osaka if you cannot rein in your temper."

Namako stopped resisting at once. Slowly, I crawled out from under her. Yasuka released Namako, who began rubbing her wrist. She glared at Yasuka with such intense hatred I thought he would burst into flames at that exact moment.

"What would you know?! You've never had to doubt your own trust! I've always lived by one rule, and so far it's kept me alive. Why should I trust _her,_"

She gestured over to me, and I could see contempt flashing in her brown eyes.

"When she is the child of one of those _patriots_."

The last word came out as a hiss. Namako fixed me with another glare before storming out of the mansion. Yasuka sighed, and sat down on the stairs, head in his hand. I sheathed my sword, walked over and sat beside him.

"I'm sorry."

He looked at me, surprised. Then he smiled, it was a sad smile, full of a black past and even blacker memories.

"Namako's parents were murdered by a band of ex-Baku Matsu warriors that were drummed out of the military. Her father was on the side of the Shogunate."

"But…she said patriots. If her father was on the Shogunate, why was he murdered?

Yasuka sighed.

"The men that slaughtered Namako's parents were Imperialists. After the war ended, they had become so involved in war and the past that they thought all remaining Shogunate members should no longer be allowed to live. After she was orphaned, Namako took to a life of thievery. She was only twelve, but she had a quick mind and quickly caught on. We initiated her when she was 18. Namako has been with Tadashi Tsubeta for eight years now."

Poor girl, but…she had seen the resemblance between me and my father, so did she too know of his tragic past?

"Will Namako be back?"

"Yes. Although she is a bit of the wild type, she never misses a mission."

Yasuka smiled at me, I could see he had brightened a little, and that made me feel better.

"Kind of like you."

**Kenji's P.O.V**

"She what?!"

Mom gaped at me in shock, and Dad…it was hard to tell. He just stood there, his face dark, and his eyes unreadable. I sat down on the front steps, and gave the shorter version.

"Yes, I'm afraid it's true. Tori's part of an underground network of assassins known as Tadashi Tsubeta, 'The Divine Sword' For the span of nearly a year, she's been carrying out missions dealt to her. She left on her latest mission to Kyoto last night."

"And what is her assignment?"

That tone. Or rather lack therefore of. Dad's voice had nothing to it. It seemed to be coming from somewhere far away. Almost as if he wasn't really here. I dreaded telling them, but I knew I had to.

"To annihilate the Kyoto branch of the Yakuza. It's a group assassination, so she won't be going alone."

My self attempted reassurance was in vain, for Dad didn't seem convinced that she would be okay. Mom just stood there, silent, and in a sort of self repose. She hadn't moved, I wasn't even sure if she had taken a breath in the span of these last minutes. I was worried for both of them. Finally, Dad sighed, and removed his hand from the hilt of his sword.

"Kaoru, we knew this would happen."

Huh? Mom smiled sadly, and looked at Dad, there were tears brimming in her eyes.

"You're right, but I thought that…if…"

She stopped, before her words could become dissolved by tears. Dad went over to her, and hugged her from behind. He put his chin in her hair, and suddenly, I saw them as they were when they had been younger, not a husband and wife, but gentle and intimate lovers. Mom clasped Dad's hands tightly.

" I know. I thought the same thing. But we both know that we can't change what's in a person's blood."

Okay, now I was _really _confused. What exactly were they talking about?

"What are you guys talking about?"

Dad let go of Mom and turned to face me.

"Bloodlines, Kenji."

I only cocked my head to one side. Mom smiled, and began to explain.

"Kenji, you know of your father's past. Well, assassin blood doesn't just die after one redeems themselves. Rather it waits to be passed onto the next generation. You and Tori, you both look like Kenshin. We knew that one of you would eventually become an assassin. That's why we waited so long to start training you two in the art of Kamiya swordsmanship. Because we knew that eventually, it would awaken the sleeping manslayer in one of you."

"So…Tori…is…"

Dad nodded.

"Yes. My blood fell to her."

He turned to Mom, who had a vacant look in her eye. Was she seeing what I was seeing? My sister, her daughter walking down a path, sword in hand, fire at her back, covered in blood? Dad smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry Kaoru."

"It's not your fault. We both know that."

The crow barked out its hoarse song, and I felt my blood chill. Now I was worried about Tori. I wanted to go after her, but as the other nigh had shown, I was no match for her, nor any member of Tadashi Tsubeta. She would only strike me down, and continue on with her mission. Dad stood up, his hand had gone to the hilt of his blade again. I could see his face was drawn in an expression which I had never seen, but by the look on Mom's face, it was quite familiar to her.

"Kenji. Stay here with your mother. I'll go after Tori."

I touched the scratch on my face, it was already healing, but it glared, red and angry from my flesh.

"How? She probably won't listen to you."

Dad closed his eyes, and unsheathed his blade. In the morning light, it glistened like a crescent shaped dew drop.

"No, she won't listen to her father,"

Then he turned the blade around. I could hear Mom gasp.

"but she'll listen to another manslayer."

Shock went through my me so quickly, it left my veins smoking. Mom's hand flew to her mouth. She quickly dropped it and stared at my father in a shock as cold as mine was hot.

"Kenshin, you don't mean to…"

Dad smiled, it was a gentle smile, the kind he gave sis and me when we had had nightmares, and he had come in to check on us.

"Don't worry you two. I'll bring her back safe and sound."

With that, he set off after our missing kitten.

* * * * *

Namako had come back as Yasuka had said she would, and now the three of us sat waiting for the fourth member of our group, Kurodami. Ever since Namako had returned, she hadn't spoken a word, at least, not to me, and that suited me just fine. I didn't like her, in fact, the darker part of my heart wanted her to be among the first to die. Every now and then while she sat there, cleaning under her nails with one of her daggers, she would glare at me with flat hatred, and just so I could piss her off even more, I would smile pleasantly back.

Yasuka seemed to notice none of this, he only stared intently at the door, waiting for Kurodami's arrival. I wondered what he was thinking.

Finally after about what seemed like an hour, the door opened. In stepped a man who looked to be in his early twenties, with long black hair, dressed in black stepped through the door. Resting comfortably on his shoulder like a small child, sat a huge butterfly battleaxe. He smiled at us, and I could see eagerness flash in those icy blue eyes.

"So chickadees, are we ready to kick some ass?"

Namako grinned evilly, I calmly grabbed my sword, and tossed my hair over my shoulder. I noticed Kurodami raise his eyebrows a bit. Yasuka stood up, and brought out his weapon. With a mild mannered man like him, I always wondered what kind of weapon he had used, now I knew. In his hands was a finely tuned crossbow. An arrow was already in the shaft, and it lay there, like a cold wooden snake. Yasuka nodded at the three of us. Outside, night had begun to fall, and with all four of us wearing black, it would be a perfect stealth killing.

"Let's go."

**Well that's done! Will Kenshin rescue his daughter in the nick of time? Or will the four members of the Divine Sword become more names on the Yakuza death list? Find out when the next update comes! **


	9. Betrayal

**Hello and welcome to chapter nine of Death's Beauty! The great battle between the four members of Tadashi Tsubeta and the Kyoto branch of the Yakuza is just before us. And what of Kenshin? Will he rescue his beloved daughter, or is it already too late? Find out now!**

_Tori…_

My mind raced ahead of my already fast moving feet as I ran towards Kyoto. Kaoru's words came back to me: 'An assassins blood never truly dies once one redeems themselves, rather it waits for the next generation to be born.' She was right, and now our daughter had inherited that cursed blood. That sweet little girl, that I had watched grow up into a beautiful woman had turned down the path of a blood covered murderer. I still remembered when she had been little, the night when she had had a terrible nightmare. The tenderness of that recollection was replayed in front of my eyes.

"_Hm? What's that sound?"_

_Kaoru stretched beside him, rubbing her eyes free of the excess sleep. I sat up, listening intently to the soft sound that was drifting down the hallway and calmly sailing into our room. The moon hung in the near center of the sky, and the silver light graced across the room, and on Kaoru's face. When just woken up, she seemed younger, cuter even. We sat in bed trying to determine the identity of the alien noise that had roused us from sleep. I watched as Kaoru stopped in mid yawn._

"_It's Tori, she's crying."_

_Quicker than my battle trained sight could follow, she was up and out of bed, with her hand clutched around the door handle. It's truly amazing, a mother's instinct to protect and comfort her children. _

"_Kaoru, it's alright."_

_I rose and just as quickly was at the door. Placing a hand on her shoulder, I said;_

"_I'll go to her. You go back to bed, you look tired."_

"_But Kenshin-"_

"_Kaoru."_

_She sighed, defeated._

"_Alright."_

_I opened the door quietly, and stood outside for a few minutes, making sure Kaoru got back into bed. When the sound of peaceful breathing reached my ears, I walked down the hall to the room Tori and Kenji shared. The sound of her sobbing was louder now, but it was controlled , almost as I she didn't want to wake her brother. Slowly, I slid open the door, and peeked in. _

_Tori knelt, still wrapped in the blankets, sobbing hysterically. Her small child's form was bathed in moonlight so that her hair glowed white. I stepped into the room, and over Kenji's sleeping form. I knelt down beside her, and put my hand on her head. She looked up immediately. _

"_Hey there kiddo. Why are you crying?"_

_She leapt into my arms. I held her tightly against me, stroking her back as the muffled sobs shook her body. My kimono was getting wet, but I didn't care._

"_Daddy, are you gonna leave Momma, Kenji and me?"_

_For a moment, I was taken aback by the blatant question, but I smothered it. Placing my chin on the soft pelt of my daughter's hair, I inhaled her scent, and asked her;_

"_Where on Earth did you get an idea like that?"_

_She didn't look up at me, but her sobbing was starting to diminish. _

"_I dreamed that you told us that you were tired o9f living here. That…that it had g-gotten boring. That-that you didn't l-love us an-anymore…and you left."_

_Tori looked up at me, her eyed wide with child's fear. The tears in her eyes made the violet in her irises stand at beautifully in the darkness. It was like twin purple moons had been placed inside her head. I smiled, and kissed her on the forehead._

"_It's alright. I'll never leave you. Any of you. This is my home. I'll always stay here with you."_

_Happiness beamed from her face. Squeezing me tightly, she once more buried her face in my chest._

"_I love you Daddy. And don't worry, I'll stay here with you too, always with you."_

But she hadn't. I wasn't one of those parents who sat there and thought 'Oh my child will never do that.' because, hey kids always do things that you never expect them to. That's what being a parent is all about. Kaoru and I weren't stupid by any means, we knew what would come, we just dreaded the day. I knocked a low hanging branch of an oak tree out of my way before continuing on, praying that I wouldn't be too late.

* * * * *

"I don't get it."

I glanced at Kurodami. As the four of us had exited the abandoned mansion, Yasuka had explained the plan to us.

" _Tori and Kurodami, you two will go east and take out a messenger. I assume he will not be alone. Namako and I will go the site where the meeting is being held, and dispense of the guards quickly so not to raise an alarm. Once you two are through with you task, meet back with Namako and I so we can being our mission."_

We were on both standing behind a large maple tree, with our weapons drawn. The road before us was as dark as a demon's soul, and just as empty. Where there should have been a silver beam from the moon arcing down from the sky, there was only blackness. Dark, malevolent clouds covered the sky, the hair on the nape of my neck was standing on end. It was going to rain soon. Beside me, Kurodami shifted his axe to his left shoulder and let out another sigh.

"Don't get what?"

Red gold eyes locked on my own violet orbs. I wasn't about to let him know, but for the fifteen minutes that we had been standing there, I noticed those strange colored eyes had taken quite a few peeks at my breasts. They did it again for the…what was it now? Sixth time? I had lost count after three, (Not that I liked it mind you, but I wasn't about to deal with it now. If I punched him, he would yelp, and I if our target happened to be coming down the road that would give us away. Secrecy. It's quite handy for assassinations. Where was I? Oh yes.) After those leering creep eyes had gotten their fill he glanced furtively back at the empty road.

"Why in the hell we have to take out a damn messenger when frickin' Namako and Yasuka get all the fun of taking out the guards of the Yakuza meeting."

I rolled my eyes. For being skilled enough for Tadashi Tsubeta to enlist him, he obviously didn't think far enough ahead.

"The Yakuza is just as informed as we are. They probably already know about tonight's assassination. This late messenger is either a precaution in case the others were already disposed of…or a distraction."

Kurodami huffed. In the dark, I caught a movement off to my left: his hand reaching out to stroke my butt. The sound of horse hooves struck my ears like the shattering of a struck gong.

"They've arrived. Get ready."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kurodami make an exasperated expression. That messenger had good timing. Kurodami would need both hands to wield that battleaxe of his. The carriage was nearing our hiding spot. Before Kurodami could say anything to me, I rushed out without a sound, and cut the front left wheel from the coach. I watched, hidden once more within the shadows as the coach spilled to the ground, knocking the driver from his seat. Frantic whinnying from the horses rubbed the wrong way against my sensitive ear drums, making me wince. The door flew open, and out tumbled the messenger, a young man, who appeared to be about my age, and a scarred body guard who looked to be in his thirties. They hit the ground with a satisfying thud. Groaning a bit, the messenger rubbed his head, and got shakily to his feet.

"What the hell happened?"

The bodyguard, who was much more attuned to what was going on, was scanning the surrounding area, looking for either me or Kurodami. He unsheathed his sword slowly, as if to strike fear into us. Yeah, like that would work. Across the road, Kurodami looked over at me. I didn't know is he could see or not, but I shook my head, telling him to wait. He caught me and nodded, fading once more in the darkness beyond.

Meanwhile, the bodyguard had become aware of the presence of other people.

"Show yourselves! I know you're there!"

The messenger, who had been tending to the coach driver, looked over at the bodyguard.

"Mister Useki."

Useki snarled.

"Quiet. They're here for you."

His eyes grew to the size of twin planets.

"For…me?"

His hand went into his pocket, and I could see him grab a hold of something. A crackling noise of scrunched up paper caught my attention. The letter! Frightened brown eyes scanned either side of the road, his hand tightened into a fist curling around the letter like a mother cat curling protectively around her young.

"W-what should we do?"

Useki rolled his eyes. I liked him already. The messenger kid was pretty stupid, but the bodyguard…now he knew his stuff. He would be fun to fight. It would be one of the few more tense battles I'd fought.

"Kinta. Go. It's not that far of a run, you might be able to make it to the base. If you're lucky that is."

"A-and you M-Mister Useki?"

Useki grinned. He had a kind of scruffy look to him, and his black hair was tied back into a ponytail. His eyes were alive with the fire of battle.

"I'll take care of the intruders!"

With that Useki swung, chopping off a thick branch from the tree the Kurodami had been behind. As he leapt out from his hiding place, I had the image of a large black panther attacking at wolf. Kurodami swung his axe, aiming to sever Useki's head from his neck. He ducked, but a few of his raven colored hairs split from his head, and floated to the ground. Kinta gasped, and fled. Kurodami swung out again, and shouted;

"Go get 'him Tori! I'll take care of this one!"

Useki, when he heard my name, realized just what the stakes were, and swung out for me, but by that time, I was already running full speed in the woods alongside the road, chasing after my prey. Crashing noises alerted me that my quarry had taken a different course. I grinned, it would be fun to chase him through the woods, and back to the road, around and around in never ending circles. Kinta's harsh labored breathing stuck in my ears like a bur on clothing. He was slowing down, growing tired. Soon he would run out completely. That was no fun. I hopped up in a tree and looked down into the clearing that I had chased Kinta into. He leaned against the tree I was positioned in, breathing heavily. I watched as he brought the letter out of his pocket, and clutched it tightly.

"They'll never get this."

"I'm not so sure."

Black fear swam in his facial features as I landed clean on top of him. He made a sort of choke noise and collapsed. His face was pressed into the dirt, so his words were a bit muffled, but it was still easy to make out what he was saying.

"What do you want?! Just please leave me alone!"

Wuss. Tears were soaking the dirt beneath his face. Gods, why the hell did people like this have to go sniveling and whining? I attached my sword to my hip, grabbed his left arm and wrenched it back. The pained yelp he let out was like music to my ears.

"The letter. Give it to me."

"Why?! Just who are you people?!"

I tightened my grip on his wrist.

"We are of the Tadashi Tsubeta. My job is to ensure that the news of tonight's assassination does not get to your base."

He writhed beneath me, like a worm on hot ground, but that did him no good, I only yanked harder, causing him to scream in agony this time.

"It hurts. P-please…let me g-g-go!"

"Letter."

It was not a request it was a demand. The rough texture of a paper's edge brushed my left right wrist, I looked down, it was loosely clasped in his right hand. I took it from him and read it. Yasuka had been right. In the letter it had the exact details of tonight's mission. Smiling, I stuffed it in my pocket.

"Okay…you have the letter. Now let me go!"

"Can't do that kid."

One handed, I grabbed my sword and stabbed it through his throat. Saliva and blood dripped onto the ground as their owner made alien gargling noises. It slid out effortlessly, almost as if the flesh it had pierced was butter. Kinta's had fell back onto the ground, like a sack of rice, his tongue hung out like a worm from a bird's beak. A puffy, blown up worm. A white glaze was settling over his eyes, dulling them, snuffing out the last ember of life that might have still clung to his body had it not been rapidly cooling.

The metal melody of a weapon caused me to spin around, brandishing my sword. A high pitched squeal of metal on metal brought the song of weaponry up short. My sword clanged off Kurodami's axe. Gripping the hilt of my sword like the neck of an enemy, I gnashed my teeth together, and shouted at him.

"What the hell was that for Kurodami?!"

He grinned, it was a wolfish smile, full of predatory cunning. His eyes gleamed as they took in my form, worshipped it in the near total darkness. How he could make out every detail of my body, I had no idea.

"Sorry, but I couldn't resist a little test. See you're kinda getting' to be big in our organization. 'Course it's not surprising considerin' who your daddy is. I've always wanted to see you in action, but when that little ass fled the scene I was a bit bummed."

He put up his free hand.

"Can ya blame a guy for bein' curious?"

I saw right through the disguise.

"You're a rat. An informant for them aren't you?"

Kurodami sneered and brought up his battleaxe.

"Correct. Now, let's see if you can live long enough to take that information back to Yasuka."

He swung wide, and I leapt, grabbing at a low hanging branch and swinging myself up into the high confines before Kurodami's axe could cut me down. I flipped up and over, resting numbly on a thinner branch, it bobbed under my weight. If I wasn't careful I might crack it. Kurodami looked up and laughed.

"Too hard to get in close enough to do some damage so you climb high into a tree to gain distance. But if you think you're safe,"

He leapt surprisingly high for one carrying such a bulky weapon. We came eye to eye, this time there was no lecherous look, only the mad gleam of a killer. The branch dipped low for a moment as I settled my weight on my feet, but I was quick enough to where I was able to leap clear of the butterfly blade once more. Kurodami landed on a lower thicker branch, while I bounced over to an adjacent tree. He grinned and blew splinters of the left blade's edge.

"Here kitty kitty. C'mon, I know you wanna catch the pretty butterfly don't ya? Keep dodging me, and you'll tire yourself Tori girl."

Bull. Like whip coils, I tensed my legs for another spring. Kurodami caught this, and brought up his battle axe. Just by looking at it, I could already tell he planned to swing wide, to my right. Thoughts flowed across his face like the reflections of windswept clouds on a still lake. He thought I would aim for his heart, try to take him in one blow. Moron. What ever he had heard, he'd heard it wrong. In a normal mission, yes I would try to take my enemy quickly, but when the battle had been heightened to this kind of perfection, I preferred to deliver a slow and painful death. With lots and lots of blood.

I sprang and he swung. Just as I knew he would he swung low, and completely missed me. I, on the other hand, put in a pretty good nick. Tearing skin and flesh poured into my ears like the finest wines down a parched throat. I gratefully accepted the noise like a hard earned trophy. Dark rich blood spurted from the wound, gushing out in a torrent of red. The salty tang hit the air, and I licked my lips. Kurodami tried once more unsuccessfully to land a blow, but thanks to the sudden pain was a little disoriented, and crash landed out of the tree. My landing was more graceful. Placing a hand on his neck as he got up, Kurodami winced as the rough fabric of the glove came into contact with the screaming flesh beneath the blood, and boy there was a lot of that!

"You little whore! I'll kill-"

The axe fell from steadily weakening hands straight into the ground. Surprise made the gold in Kurodami's eyes flash as he fell the ground, useless and soon to be lifeless. Once more, he laid a hand on his wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

"Wha…what the hell…"

I smiled. Looks like once again, I was the victor.

"I just slice open a one of the major veins in your neck. I was nice and didn't cut your jugular, and so in that I allowed you a few more precious moments of life. So you're pretty much going to lie there dying. Tell me something Kurodami,"

Still holding my sword in ready mode, I squatted down in front of him.

"What's it like? To literally _feel _the life flowing from your body, to feel your veins emptying themselves of the vital fluid that you so desperately need to survive. Between you and me, I can't imagine a greater hell. Just kind of makes you want to end life right now huh?"

He clenched his teeth together, I could still see a few undying sparks of life flair behind his eyes.

"Quit talking of ending _my _life, and think about yours! You already speak as if Tadashi Tsubeta is your life! You already kill in their name! I know you have a family Tori! A family who would want nothing more than to see you turn your back on all of this and go back to living the life you live with them! Forget about taking my life, and go redeem yours, go and-"

He was cut short by the cruel end of my sword. It quivered like an arrow, sticking straight up out of his skull. As I pulled it out, it made a sucking noise as the still warm flesh clung to the cold steel.

"Just shut up."

The wind moaned through the trees, carrying the scent of the imminent rain storm. Kurodami had been an informant for the Yakuza, which meant he had told them about tonight's assassination. I had to get back to their base and warn Yasuka and Namako…if it wasn't too late.

**Done and done! Sometime's I amaze myself. No truly, I do. Anyways, leave a review please. Cookies, not razorblades!**


	10. Blood Bloomed like Flowers

**Hey guys! This is the last chapter of Death's Beauty. So, how will it end? Will Tori save Yasuka and Namako from possibly getting their asses kicked? Will Kenshin reach his daughter in time? Or, horror of horrors…WILL TORI DIE?!?!?!?!? Read to find out!**

She was still a child. _My _child. Yes, what she had done was wrong, very wrong, but she still needed my protection. I had promised Kaoru and Kenji that I would bring Tori home, and dammit I intended to make it happen! Even if it involved death on my part…but part of being a parent meant sacrificing yourself for your children's sake.

Kyoto loomed before me. When I had come here the second time, the city had looked calm and peaceful. Contrary to me days spent as Battousai. Now, it looked the same. Maybe it was the night that made it seem so foreboding and ugly. Perhaps it was my own fear at what I might later discover, but whatever the reason, my heart roared in my chest. I could feel my blood pumping urgently, screaming at me to go on. And I would. Even if I had to go to the edge of the earth, I would.

In alleyways and less traveled streets, shadows danced and writhed. Macabre actors in melodrama to horrifying to even comprehend. The wind whispered evil things from those shadows. Tempting, and sultry, the voice of the wind moaned endlessly on into the blackest of the black. Smells grazed my nostrils, dirt, cherry blossoms…and blood. I stood there for a while, as I began to get wrapped up in my own memories. When the recollection had hit me, I had been expecting the scent of white plum. _Tomoe…are you watching over her? Please…until I get there…keep her safe…._

* * * * *

Yasuka. Namako. Their lives now depended on the swiftness of my feet. Wind brushed around my ankles, like invisible ropes, trying to ensnare me and bring me down. It seemed like everything was on the Yakuza's side tonight. Gritting my teeth, I ran faster, driving myself on into the ebony fangs of the night. Tree branches scraped against one another, scratching like old bones. With the noise, came Kurodami's words:

"_You speak of the organization as if it has become your life! I know that you have a family; a loving family that would like nothing better than to see you safe."_

Well, not that it mattered. He was dead. End of story. His words meant nothing. I kept telling myself that over and over as I continued my run. But those words, like a wet heavy fog, clung to the dark base of my mind, whispering again and again those words that I never wanted to hear.

I was nearing my destination. Suddenly, like a knife slash at my heart, shock hit me. My feet dug into the ground, as my toes vainly gripped anything they could find to avoid my face getting a painful meeting with the ground. Blood. The smell was everywhere. My senses were battered by an endless brigade of sights, smells, and screams. Bodies lay littered all over the ground, and most of them still had some bit of life in them. They lay, like fish flopping and gasping for air as they suffocated in their own blood. Some of them were cradling their entrails like deformed children, others were split apart into pieces, strewn about like useless items. Chunks of flesh sat in pools of blood, the stench of death was thick in the air.

Was I too late? Had I failed my mission? _No! _My mind shrieked. It was an animal's cry, something I wasn't used to hearing…or had it been there all along? Disguised as the sweet, tempting voice I used when killing my targets.

_(You speak of the organization as if it has become your life)_

While my mind froze in the clawed grip of terror, my feet took to their own accord. Like twin lightning bolts, they struck the ground; desperation drove my body on, but fear held back my mind. I was no longer a human, but what I was sooner or later to become. An animal. A predator, whose sole purpose was to track down, hunt and kill. Emotions, there were none. Reasons, there were none. Heart…even that no longer existed. With a wild scream of blood fury, I lashed out at anyone who still lived. _A beast…you are a beast… _Spoke a little girl's voice. I could feel her trembling as she watched my attack, with wide frightened eyes.

Yes, I was a beast, but I didn't care. After all, that's what beasts were made for: killing.

_All men and women are beastly, and when skinned, a beast in velvet is a beast for all to see._

Truth had never come in a darker sentence. Red liquid vines shot through the air, only to end up on the ground, going back to the earth, near the flesh that had spawned them. I no longer saw clearly. Red. That's all there was. A deep red anger and lust that was darkening to an ebony rage and hunger as I continued to fight, and free the animal of carnage that had long since been trapped inside the fragile cage of glass.

And what carnage I racked! I screamed, I raved, I slashed! I severed, cut and tore! How loudly they all screamed. How slowly they all died.

Nothing could leash the monster that had broken free of its restraints. With open arms, I embraced my darkness, surrendered to my own bloody whims, and killed without discretion. Everything was out in the open now. There was no need for hiding, no skulking, only bold and brazen sacrifice. Screams, and weapon clashing on weapon sang sweet love songs in my ears as I fought with enemy after enemy, killing person after person. My body had become a vessel for the utmost slaughter. The dry, blank world around me was dyed a wet, lush red as blood arced through the air, like macabre ribbons, celebrating an event that would never be spoken of during the pure light of day.

I killed and killed. On and on, never stopping. It felt good. So good. My hands became stained with blood, as my spirit became weighted down with the souls of those I murdered.

* * * * *

Blood, fear, death, and the dying. All these things and more met my eyes. Destruction had come in and left a dark gift for the people here. Memories flashed before my eyes, and all of a sudden, I was Battousai again. The revolution was at its peak, and the fighting had reached a screaming at a bloody climax, like a masochistic harlot. The man of twenty eight years, the man of forty four years, they had yet to come, they were far before me, and would not exist until much later. The old…no it was not old…not yet…the urge to kill welled up within me. Black bubbly acid in a well just as dark, and quite deep. I was filled to the brim with the insane lust for murder.

Then, a wild, scream tore me out of the past, and I was no longer Battousai, but Kenshin Himura, husband and father. I gripped my hand tighter on my blade for I knew who had made that scream. Bringing my body into a full fledged run, I struck out, praying with every step that I would not be too late.

* * * * *

Ecstasy. Nothing but pure ecstasy. White fireworks sent off a display of ivory when the sounds of battle met my ears. My heart beat a wild and erratic pulse, my chest heaved with each and every breath I took. Yes! Yes! This was it! This was what I had longed for! That undesirable pleasure! That unreachable thrill! It was right here, and oh gods how it felt so good! Thought no longer penetrated the thick walls of bone that surrounded my brain. Only a rich desire, that oozed with a syrupy slowness into the grooves of my brain, soaking into my mind.

As the night wore on, the number of people dwindled, but I still was not sated. My skin was dyed a deep red. My body was perfumed from head to toe in the heady scent of blood. Corpses lay around me, like dolls in a grotesque playhouse, they lay in different positions, soaked and cooling. The ground beneath me had become soft, and mushy, it's amazing how much blood is in a person.

A rustling in the brush nearby caught my attention. Heart rate picking up, breath catching in my lungs, I smiled, revealing all of my teeth in the darkness. My sword rained red onto the ground; slowly, I lifted it to my lips, and licked off some of the decadent scarlet fluid. It traveled slowly down my throat, and I savored its taste, like the richest of wines. Off in the distance, thunder rumbled, slow and soft. A prequel of battle to come. I stood, with my weapon raised, and waited.

* * * * *

_Tori…Tori….what have you become? _

Just the mere sight of her, tearing through flesh, and ripping apart bodies was enough to send chill after chill racing down my spine. And her face! That grin she wore, that evil lupine snarl that widened with each scream…she enjoyed it! I was horrified, appalled, and disgusted…by my own daughter. I saw nothing except an infinite red. Red like blood, red like Tori's hair. Strange indeed.

People dropped like flies, adding onto the steadily rising body count. Then, there were none. No opponents, no more people to kill. Just my daughter, standing there, bathed in blood, looking like some dead guardian to the Underworld. I watched her chest heave as she took in the smell of blood that had seemed to replace the life giving oxygen.

What would she do? Would she come back from that bloody reverie, and realize what she had done, or would she continue to go through the night, killing and killing, like a hungry animal? Either way, I would not like to see it. She continued to stand there, basking in the euphoria of her darkness, like some blood lover.

My left foot was beginning to hurt from crouching behind the bushes for so long. I knew it would be risky, but I needed to relieve the pain, and alert Tori to my presence. Slowly, I reasserted myself into a battle crouch, rather than a sneaking crouch. Twigs snapped under me, and the small, dwarf branches rustled. I waited, with bated breath as she turned to look at me. To my horror, she still had not come out of that languor. White teeth glowed in the dark as her lips stretched back to form a smile that is often seen on victims of the insane. In her hands, she held her blade. It seemed to be eternally raining blood. She raised it to her lips, and licked off the blood. Slowly, she swallowed it, and the way her eyes lit up, she was savoring its copper tang.

I had two choices: Fight or flight. Anyone with a brain in their heads would know I chose the former.

No sound, no shouting, no screaming. I simply flung myself at Tori, and whipped out my blade. There was a blinding clash as she brought hers up to counter my attack. Gritting my teeth, I broke the connection between us, and spun out of her reach. Tori grinned, and slashed out at the air, spraying blood everywhere. Her eyes! She didn't recognize me, so deep was she in the recesses of a murderer. Her turn now, with all her might, she dove for me, seeking to plunge her sword deep into my heart. I dodged, but at the last possible moment, my foot struck a pool of blood, and I slipped to the ground. Thunder sounded once again, closer, and more urgent this time. A cold wind tugged gently at me body, trying weakly to tear me apart before she could.

What could I do? How could I bring her back from that precarious brink? There was only one way, and I had said it before I left: Her father would not be able to get to her. Only another man slayer.

"C'mon, is that all you've got? Seriously. I thought you'd be tougher."

Oh I was. Kneeling, I concentrated on the darkness caged inside me. With quick, dutiful fingers, I unlocked a door to a cage, a room where the spirit of Battousai was housed. I could feel it rush out in a blinding torrent of hate and rage. My body was gripped in the violent quake of the spiritual onslaught. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, and looked up I no longer saw my daughter. I didn't know this girl, this strange girl who looked like me, who stood over me, grinning and holding a sword that was drenched with blood. Taking a deep breath I inhaled the lovely scents of blood and death. Smiling, matching her for cunning, I said;

"You don't know who you're dealing with little girl. The man that is before you now, he will be your greatest opponent. Be ready for a battle like none you've ever experienced. For Battousai is back."

I launched myself at my enemy.

* * * * *

Something red flew from the bushes, and struck at me. Silver lightning flashed as our blades met and for a brief moment became one. Violet eyes, and red hair like my own contrasted sharply with the inky blackness of the surrounding night. The man before me ground his teeth, and spun away from me, safely out of reach of my one long silver fang. Who was this man? He seemed so similar to me, and yet he wasn't. So familiar, and yet so unlike someone who I had seen before. I knew this man, I did. Quite well too. But the part of me that kept insisting that I knew the person before me was small and insignificant. The half of my mind that clamored for defeat of the opponent in front of me was much more important.

I lashed out with my blade, sending tendrils of red dancing through the air,. Like ribbons, they fell softly to the ground. It was my turn. Focusing my energy, I ran full force, my blade seeking out the spot between his third and fourth rib that would take me directly to the heart. He sidestepped, but at the last second, slipped in a pool of blood. Pathetic. An old man. I was fighting a pathetic old man. Surprising, but not all that much.

"C'mon, is that all you got? Seriously, I though you'd be tougher."

He knelt before me, eyes closed, concentrating on some far off point within himself, which I could not see. Suddenly his eyes flared open, and it appeared as if he was voluntarily giving himself over to a forbidden darkness. Violet eyes sealed themselves once more within the confines of his skull, as his breathing began to calm once more.

Thunder came again, like the annoyed growl of an animal, signaling us to hurry up and get back to the fighting. When he finally opened his eyes, they were no longer violet; they glowed golden with a vivacity that I had never seen before. Gleamed with a hunger for battle that surpassed mine.

"You don't know who you're dealing with little girl. The man that is before you now, he will be your greatest opponent. Be ready for a battle like none you've ever experienced. For Battousai is back."

He came at me with the wild fury likened only to that of a strong hurricane. I had only a fraction of a minute to bring up my blade. He backed off, only to launch himself at me again. Such fury! Such vitality! Such spirit! We met again, and again, two wolves locked in a battle for dominance, neither beast quite getting the upper hand. Grinding my teeth, I lashed out blindly and without caution, for what need had I for that? Beautiful red flowers sailed through the continuously cooling air, and the way his face contorted with rage and pain, I knew then that I'd hurt him.

The gash was narrow, but deep. Although not deep enough. I had meant to rip him in two, and when I lashed out, that had been my intention, no questions asked. So what had stalled my blade? He smiled at me, drawing himself up. Dimly, as if from somewhere far away, beyond little rolling hills, I saw lightning flash, and felt the first tentative kisses of rain.

"Heh. Good shot, but I'm much better."

He was there, then he wasn't. I could only sense his aura looming closer at an incredible rate, and again I barely had time to react to his reflexes. Thanks to my fast feet, I was saved from a blow to the neck that would have crushed my throat, however, I received a cracked rib in place of it. I sucked in a breath and steeled myself against the pain. And oh how excruciating it was! Thousands of little teeth, burning and sharp ripped at my chest, sending spider legs of pain skittering up and down my body. I could already feel myself growing numb with the sheer force of the blow. The pain blinded me, and for moments at a time, all I saw was white, and every now and then black. But never my opponent.

He stayed a step ahead of my, using my sudden lameness to his advantage. The only indication I had of him was both his scent and his aura. Both of which were soon evaporating into invisibility in the quickening pace of the rain.

Pain struck me from my right, and I went down. Rain pounded on my body as the wet ground clung to my clothes. My opponent stood over me, his sword had been turned around, so now I felt the sharp edge pressing into my throat. My vision was clear now, so clear in fact, that I now knew the person standing over me.

"Dad…"

* * * * *

I caught her swiftly on the right side. She went down without a word, or scream. Laying there, she let the rain soak her skin and clothing. Its wet hands clinging to her red hair, and pale skin. In a flash I was on her. The rain was battering both of us now, clear wet sheets that would hide nothing of this divine slaughter. Distantly, I could feel part of my mind scream at me. What was I doing?! She was my….

I fought it back down. I didn't know this girl, she was just another opponent in a long line of those yet to come. Eyes, brilliant eyes glittered with a clarity only seen in mountain streams. She opened her mouth to speak, and that one word she spoke brought me back.

"Dad…"

Everything flooded my mind at once. Memories, sounds, emotions and words. I squeezed my eyes shut tight and dropped my sword. Oh gods what had I done?! Tears clouded my vision as I knelt by Tori, and gently lifted her up, cradling her close.

"Tori…I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

The wound made by her blade was aggravated by my actions but I ignored it. Just one more scar to add on the living trophy rack that was my body. I hated myself! How could I have done such a cruel, heartless thing? I had given myself to the manslayer in me, and it had nearly cost me my daughter's life! White, angry flames consumed my flesh, and began to strip my soul, for the unforgivable crime that I had committed.

Then, soft tender arms wrapped around me, lightly stroking my back.

"It's alright. I understand…and _I'm _the one who should be sorry. I too was trying to kill you."

I held her tighter, thanking every god out there that she was still alive. She pulled away from me, and in the darkness, we looked back at each other. Father, and daughter, assassin and assassin. Tori now understood me on a level that was far above what should have been the norm. Of course, when one considers everything that had happened to both me and Kaoru in the past, it wasn't surprising that nothing followed the pattern of normal for us.

Twin streams of liquid starlight flowed down Tori's face as she closed her eyes, and buried her face in my chest. Her hands her painted in blood. The rain was washing away what was on the surface, but what lurked below, could never be gotten rid of.

"Father…I…am I…am I truly a heartless murderer?"

The word 'No' was on the tip of my tongue, but I didn't dare voice it out loud. Instead, my fingers moved to stroke her hair. It felt soft, like velvet, each strand curled delicately around my fingers to form a web of bright ruby.

"Tori, an assassin you may have become, but you are far from heartless."

Her fingers dug into my chest, small purple half-moons were being carved into my willing flesh.

"How?! How do you know?! I've killed countless individuals, and never felt a thing! Not ever! I'm tainted by the blood that stains my hands! Weighted down with heavy chains for each and every one of my sins!"

She shoved herself out of my grip, and clung tightly to her own shoulders. The rain poured relentlessly, and in her black attire, she looked like a hopeless woman awaiting Death's cold kiss. I sighed, and put my hand to the cross shaped scar given tome so many years ago. Tomoe, and her fiancée, the marks of they had placed upon my face. So separate in years, yet so close. The last part of the scar, the shorter line, had sliced apart, not only my skin, but my life as an assassin.

And now, I looked at my daughter, kneeling, and staring down at her hands with blank eyes. Now she stood up, and reached for her sword. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and for a moment, there in front of me stood the queen of blood, the eternal princess of the damned. Tori had the sword held out in front of her, the end…pointed straight at her heart. She smiled at me, there were tears in her eyes. Crystalline pools of guilt, that sparkled as if there were tiny diamonds in each eye.

"Don't you see? This is the only way I can atone. You…you had Mom. Your love for her cleaned your blood soaked slate. As for me,"

She surveyed the rain soaked killing ground. Bodies lay all around us, now just unidentifiable lumps in the darkness.

", there is nothing. Not in this world anyway. I'm sorry. Tell Mom that I love her, and tell Kenji, that I'm sorry, but I cannot keep my promise."

She closed her eyes, and thrust the blade. I leapt for her.

* * * * *

There was no way out. No way at all. I stared down at my hands. My blood stained, soul stained, tainted hands. The world around me diminished. Voices assaulted me like the harshest of winds. They tore at my mind, and ripped at my sanity. Screaming over and over again that I was a murderer, and there was no path for me. Every bridge I came to I burned. The only way for me was to burn my final, remaining bridge: my life.

While Dad looked on, I spoke my last final words. I could feel tears well up in my eyes. The last ones I would ever shed. It seemed a shame to leave this world with so much sadness, but it was irrelevant.

"Don't you see? This is the only way I can atone. You…you had Mom. Your love for her cleaned your blood soaked slate. As for me,"

I looked around. Corpses covered the ground. The area around me was a cesspool of death, a breeding ground for flies, and disease.

", there is nothing. Not in this world anyway. I'm sorry, tell Mom I love her. Tell Kenji that I'm sorry, but I cannot keep his promise."

Kurodami had been right. The organization had become my life. And a life lived for killing is no life at all. I closed my eyes, and steadied my hands. The sword clinked as I tightened my hold, and thrust.

_Blinding pain._

_Blood._

_Screaming._

_A fog rolls in, gray at first._

_I open my eyes, and the fog is everywhere._

_I close them, and it deepens to black._

_The blackness swallows me up. _

_Devouring me until nothing is left…_

That's what I'd been expecting. Instead, the opposite happened.

First, came the immediate feeling of a hand claming firmly around my right wrist and twisting it. Next came pain, not the blinding, pure slash, but a mottled, blunt stump that slowly oozed into my upper arm. Then finally, my own voice crying "Ow!", and my blade hitting the ground, sounding old, and worn. The hand released my wrist, and pulled me into a tight hug. My father's scent overwhelmed me. Ginger and fire scorched Earth. His free hand moved to stroke my hair.

"Tori. Don't you ever think, that even for a minute that death is a way of salvation. You leave behind the ones who love you to sit there in a world of suffering. We need you, to see you, to feel you. Your mother needs you to be alive. Kenji needs you to be alive. _I _need you to be alive. Isn't that enough? Isn't the love of your family enough to keep going?"

Was it? Was love enough for your mind to feed off and keep going, keep thinking, keep….something? I wasn't sure, but just the fact that these three people needed me was enough to bring me back from the brink of near suicide. And Kenji…he was more than enough to make me carry on through the black endless void of my life. I leaned into my father, tears of desperation coursing their solemn, solitary way down my face as I cried. The rain around us began to slacken until it was nothing. The dark clouds began to be outlined in silver, and soon they parted, and I was able to see the night sky.

Off in the distant horizon, black was giving way to blue. It was time we took our leave back to Tokyo. Slowly I looked up at my father. How time aged people, yet how brilliantly young stayed the mind. He smiled, and let me go.

"Let's be off."

I nodded. We were almost out of the battleground when I remembered something: my blade. I went back to it. It still laid there on the ground, looking old and lonely. Contemplating its fate, I knelt down beside it. Leaves danced around me on a cold breeze. My former life lay in front of me in a cold, dead piece of metal.

"Leave that thing."

"No. I can't just throw it away. It's still a part of me. In a way, I need it."

Dad sighed. He came up behind me and placed a a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes. Is it possible…that the blade can be reversed?"

Another sigh. The hand left my shoulder as Dad stood up.

"If that is really what you wish, for I feel it best to leave the symbol of your former life behind you, but we will see what we can do. After all, as you said that blade is a part of you, and it would be wrong of me to disagree, when I carry a sword weighted down with my thoughts and emotions."

Once more I put my hand around the hilt of my blade. There was still an energy, but it was no longer the keening wail, so desperate for blood and flesh, but a high hum. Yes there was salvation just beyond that peak. It came to me that this was the last time I would hold this blade as it had been forged, but that was of little meaning.

Dad had turned back to me. He smiled as I sheathed my blade and stretched out his hand.

"Come on. Let's go home."

Home. What a wonderful word.

"Yes home."

I took the warm, caring hand offered to me, and began my journey of a thousand steps back home.

**OMG! Sorry for the long wait! Work, school, and being sick really kick you in the butt! But, It's out now, stay tuned for the epilogue. Coming soon, I promise. Cookies, not razorblades.**


	11. Epilogue: The Endless Turning Wheel

**Oh, god! I'm so, so sorry! I completely forgot that I hadn't put up the epilogue! **

My life was over. At least, that's what I had initially thought. Now, as I stood here, off the beaten path of some old, well traveled road, staring up into the clear spring sky, listening to the occasional twittering of a bird, life seemed so perfectly clear, and beautiful.

I had been expelled from Mom's teachings. My plaque was removed, and I had to stand there, head bowed in shame as it was broken by those hands that had soothed me after countless nightmares. Hands that could be tender, and painful at the same time. My shame was only made worse as I remembered feeling the lump in my throat, and the tears that had stung in my eyes. The worst possible part was the knowing; the sheer, razor blade knowledge that I had shamed the Kamiya dojo.

That night I had lain in my room, luckily the tears had not been shed at all. Ashamed as I was, I would not cry out of self pity. Kenji, Dad, Mom…I had disgraced them all. I could feel the misty red heat of anger seeping from the walls of the dojo into my room. Yes, it seemed even the dojo now scorned my presence. I realized then that I had to do something, the feeling that I no longer belonged here was stifling me. There was nowhere for me to but away. Destination didn't matter, I just needed to get away.

"What?! Leaving?! For Osaka?"

Of course, my family was against this, Dad for the most part. He had looked at me with level eyes, all seriousness.

"Are you sure this is what you want? The world outside this dojo is vast, and more often cruel. Will you be able to handle it?"

I had sat there for some time, looking at each of them, gauging their reactions, looking into the faces that I loved. Mom was nervously waiting for my answer, Dad simply sat there with a face as readable as stone, and Kenji was watching me with very un-big brother like eyes.

"Yes. It is what's best."

Dad stood then, offering his hand to me. Unsure, but not wanting to do any more damage, I took it, he pulled me up, and pulled me into a tight hug.

"History repeats itself, but in this case, I hope the wheel of eternity will be turning a different way."

He took my face in his hands, and looked me square in the eyes. I could see the emotional storm that lurked beneath the clear violet waters.

"Promise me, that in the face of everything you will be strong. You will not forget where you came from, and you will not forget to whom you matter."

His face had come very close to mine.

"Promise me."

His eyes peered deep into my own, burning, my soul, and setting my mind afire.

"I promise, Father."

A few tears had been shed, and Mom took her hands in mine.

"Maybe someday, a lonely road, shrouded by mist will lead you to us, like it did with your father all those years ago."

After that, Mom and Dad had left Kenji an me alone for a private moment at the gate. His eyes met mine. On his face he wore a simple smile, but his eyes revealed a complex spider web of emotions. Gently, he punched my shoulder, it felt more like a tap.

"You know…you never did give me that practice match. We made a deal you know."

Smiling, my hands had laid themselves on my brother's shoulders.

"Tell you what. Here's your practice match, Think of it as more of a challenge: When you master Kamiya Kashin, come and find me. Then we will have our battle. Okay? But only after you master Kamiya Kashin, not before, do you understand me?"

"Yes. Although I hope you know, I'm going to come after you sooner than you think."

A blue sky arched over us as we had stood there together, wrapped intently in the moment, each of us, afraid to break the silence. I wanted to savor the sight of my brother. Sixteen, bright, youthful, strong, and above all radiant. That same boy who would some day be a strong man, wielding a blade with the same innocent values.

We had exchanged a final farewell, and I turned to leave. When I got halfway down the stone steps, leading away from my home, and to wherever I decided to roam, Kenji's voice had clanged sweetly against my eardrums.

"Hey, Sis!"

When I turned, he held my sheathed sword up high, like some flagless pole. But instead of baring surrender, it bared hope upon the nonexistent flag. It had sailed effortlessly through the air as he tossed it to me.

"You forgot something."

The reassuring weight of the weapon in my hand, as my fingers closed tightly over the hilt had brought a flood of images that were easily repressed. My brother had given me one last smile, before turning away to fade away into that gentle spring.

A breeze kicked up, ruffling my hair. The sun flashed brilliant patterns of gold onto my skin, the earth stood constant beneath my feet. My past lay at my back, the future stood before me, and the present, where I stood now, would decide for both.

Smiling, and putting my hand on the hilt of my sword, I walked forth, ready to meet anything.

**Yes, yes shorter ending. Was that not epic? Well, anyways, review please.**


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